The expansion Denver Summit's match against the Washington Spirit on Saturday broke the National Women's Soccer League record for attendance with its announced crowd of 63,004.

Fans at the Denver Broncos' home stadium broke the previous NWSL record of 40,091 who attended Bay FC's match against the Spirit last season at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

In 2024, the Chicago Stars drew 35,038 to a game against Bay FC that was played at Wrigley Field, home to the Cubs.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Scripps launches free sports network featuring live games, womens leagues

This is a big deal, and its very important," fan Karmryn Eversole said. "And I think its a huge milestone for womens sports to prove that we want more womens courts. And this is what we want, and were here supporting it, and we want to show it.

The match was the Summit's first at home in Colorado. The team played its first three on the road, going 1-1-1. The game against the Spirit on Saturday ended in a scoreless draw.

Denver was awarded the 16th NWSL franchise in January 2025 for a reported expansion fee of $110 million. The Summit started play this season along with the Boston Legacy.

I mean, I think it means everything, fan Nicole DeLue said. If you look at the amount of Denver womens players that have gone to the World Cup, made the national team. Weve always been a strong feeder. So to finally have a home base here is just incredible.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | NWSL on ION draws over 20 million viewers as players see salary boost

After the opener at Mile High, the Summit will play home games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, home of the Colorado Rapids in MLS. In July, the team will move to the temporary 12,000-seat Centennial Stadium while a women's soccer stadium is built in downtown Denver.

The Summit announced earlier this week they had closed on land at Santa Fe Yards for the future stadium, which the club hopes will be complete by the 2028 season.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday rejected claims that God justifies war and prayed especially for Christians in the Middle East during a Palm Sunday Mass before tens of thousands of people in St. Peters Square.

With the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entering its second month and Russias ongoing campaign in Ukraine, Leo dedicated his Palm Sunday homily to insist that God is the king of peace who rejects violence and comforts those who are oppressed.

Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war, Leo said. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.

Leaders on all sides of the Iran war have used religion to justify their actions. U.S. officials, especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have invoked their Christian faith to cast the war as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes with military might.

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo suggests Christian leaders who start wars should go to confession

Russia's Orthodox Church, too, has justified Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a holy war against a Western world it considers has fallen into evil.

Palm Sunday marks Jesus triumphant entrance into Jerusalem in the time leading up to his crucifixion, which Christians observe on Good Friday, and resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In a special blessing at the end of Mass, Leo said he was praying especially for Christians in the Middle East who are suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict. In many cases, they cannot live fully the rites of these holy days.

Earlier Sunday, the Latin Patriarchate said Jerusalem police prevented the Catholic churchs top leadership from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was the first time in centuries church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, the Patriarchate said.

Leo said that during Holy Week, Christians cannot forget how many people around the world are suffering as Christ did. Their trials appeal to the conscience of all. Let us raise our prayers to the Prince of Peace so that he may support people wounded by war and open concrete paths of reconciliation and peace, Leo said.

A Holy Week that recalls Pope Francis' suffering

When Holy Week opened last year, Pope Francis was still recovering at the Vatican after a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia. He had delegated the liturgical celebrations to others, but rallied on Easter Sunday to greet the faithful from the loggia of St. Peters Square. Most poignantly, he then made what became his final popemobile loop around the piazza.

Francis died the following morning, Easter Monday, after suffering a stroke. His nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, later told Vatican Media that Francis had told him: Thank you for bringing me back to the square for the final salute.

Leo is due to preside over this weeks liturgical appointments and is returning to tradition with the Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony that commemorates Jesus Last Supper with his disciples.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Pope Leo XIV denounces wealthy elites bubble of comfort, reaffirms Churchs mission to the poor

During his 12-year pontificate, Francis famously celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual by traveling to Rome-area prisons and refugee centers to wash the feet of people most on societys margins. His aim was to drive home the rituals message of service and humility, and he would frequently muse during his Holy Thursday homilies Why them and not me?

Francis gesture had been praised as a tangible evidence of his belief that the church must go to the peripheries to find those most in need of Gods love and mercy. But some critics bristled at the annual outings, especially since Francis would also wash the feet of Muslims and people of other faiths.

Leo restores Holy Week foot-washing tradition

Leo, historys first U.S.-born pope, is returning the Holy Thursday foot-washing tradition to the basilica of St. John Lateran, where popes performed it for decades. The Vatican hasnt yet said who will participate, though Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II normally washed the feet of 12 priests.

On Friday, Leo is due to preside over the Good Friday procession at Romes Colosseum commemorating Christs Passion and crucifixion. Saturday brings the late night Easter Vigil, during which Leo will baptize new Catholics, followed a few hours later by Easter Sunday when Christians commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

Leo will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peters Square and then deliver his Easter blessing from the loggia of the basilica.

Top diplomats from key regional powers gathered in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East, but there were few signs of progress as Israel and the U.S. kept up strikes on Iran, and Tehran responded by firing missiles and drones across the region.

Pakistan said foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were participating in the talks in Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held extensive discussions on regional hostilities.

More than 3,000 people have been killed throughout the monthlong war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering Iran's attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states.

RELATED STORY | War spreads across Middle East as Iran, Houthis target Israel and US forces

The U.S. and Israel were not participating in the Islamabad talks. Irans parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks as a cover while the U.S. dispatches additional troops to the Middle East. He warned against any ground invasion and said Iran was ready to set American troops on fire and punish U.S. regional allies, according to Iranian state media.

Israel announced waves of incoming strikes from Iran on Sunday and explosions could be heard throughout Tehran.

Mideast leaders try to break impasse at weekend talks

Egypts Badr Abdelatty, Turkeys Hakan Fidan and Saudi Arabias Prince Faisal Bin Farhan were in Islamabad as part of talks scheduled days after the U.S. offered Iran a 15-point action list" as a framework for a possible peace deal. Abdelatty said the meetings were aimed at opening a direct dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, which have largely communicated through mediators during the war.

Yet during the talks, Iran has eased some restrictions on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. It agreed late Saturday to allow 20 more Pakistani-flagged vessels to transit the critical passageway, Pakistani officials said, adding to the select few it has let through as Iran works to choke but not cut off the strait entirely.

The weekend provided little sign of the talks narrowing the disconnect between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. officials have insisted the war may be nearing an inflection point but Iranian leaders continue to publicly reject negotiations.

To the contrary, the United States has dispatched thousands of additional Marines and paratroopers to the region. And the Iran-backed Houthis, who govern parts of Yemen, announced their long-awaited entry into the war, launching missiles toward what they called sensitive Israeli military sites for the first time on Saturday.

Despite the deployments, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops as domestic opposition grows to expanding the war to a potential ground invasion, including among Republicans.

Yet Iranian officials have rejected the U.S. framework and in public dismissed the idea of negotiating under pressure. Still, Press TV, the English-language arm of Irans state broadcaster, reported last week that Tehran drafted its own five-point proposal, citing an anonymous official. The plan reportedly called for a halt to killing Iranian officials, guarantees against future attacks, reparations and Irans exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran threatens retaliatory strikes on Israeli and US universities

Iran on Sunday warned of additional escalation after Israeli airstrikes hit several universities, including ones that Israel claimed were used for nuclear research and development.

The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned in a statement that Iran would consider Israeli universities and branches of American universities in the region legitimate targets unless offered safety assurances for Iranian universities, state media reported.

American colleges including Georgetown, New York University and Northwestern have campuses in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

If the U.S. government wants its universities in the region spared, it should condemn the bombardment of (Iranian) universities by 12 oclock Monday, March 30, in an official statement, the Guard said.

It also demanded the U.S. stop Israel from striking Iranian universities and research centers. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Saturday that dozens of universities and research centers have been hit, among them the Iran University of Science and Technology and Isfahan University of Technology.

Houthi involvement sparks concerns

Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said on the rebels' Al-Masirah satellite television station on Saturday that they launched missiles toward sensitive Israeli military sites in the south.

The group which controls parts of Yemen launched repeated attacks aimed at Israel and Red Sea shipping during the height of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli strikes on Yemen last year killed the rebel-run government's prime minister and top military general.

If the Houthis again increased attacks on commercial shipping, it would further push up oil prices and destabilize all of maritime security, said Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group. The impact would not be limited to the energy market.

Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is crucial for vessels heading to the Suez Canal through the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has been routing millions of barrels of crude oil a day through it because the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed.

RELATED STORY | Iranian strike wounds at least 10 US troops and damages planes at Saudi air base, official says

Houthi rebels attacked more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels, between November 2023 and January 2025. They have held Yemens capital, Sanaa, since 2014. Saudi Arabia launched a war against the Houthis on behalf of Yemens exiled government in 2015. They now have an uneasy ceasefire.

Death toll climbs

Iranian authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.

In Lebanon, where Israel has started an invasion in the south while targeting the Hezbollah militant group, officials said more than 1,100 people have been killed in the country since the start of the war.

In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died.

In Gulf states, 20 people have been killed. Four have been killed in the occupied West Bank.

Friendship Circles Soul Studio and the Janice Charach Gallery are proud to present A Little Bit of Light, a moving art exhibition celebrating the creativity, individuality, and inner light of artists from Soul Studio, Friendship Circles supported art studio program for adults with special needs.

The exhibition is open now at the Janice Charach Gallery, located at 6600 W. Maple Road in West Bloomfield, and reflects a shared commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating meaningful space for artists with special needs to be seen, celebrated, and embraced.

To learn more about the Janice Charach Gallery, the A Little Bit of Light exhibition and/or a public reception set for Sunday, March 29, visit charachgallery.org.

The newly opened Theory and Thread upscale resale and consignor boutique in downtown Auburn Hills is giving you an opportunity to refresh your look while also rethinking how you buy and wear clothing.

To learn more about Theory and Thread, visit theoryandthreadresale.com/

Thousands of Metro Detroiters took to the streets Saturday for 'No Kings' protests, calling for accountability and the protection of democratic rights.

Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report below Thousands attend 'No Kings' protests across Metro Detroit

Organizers said more than 25,000 people participated in eight rallies from Downriver to downtown Detroit.

Thousands of people flooded Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit Saturday afternoon to make their voices heard. Organizers estimated around 4,500 people attended the Detroit rally alone.

Sean Schaefer helped organize the Detroit protest.

"The people in Michigan do not agree with whats happening. Theres plenty of people out here who are not happy with how the country is going," Schaefer said.

"Theres a lot of madness going on in the country right now, I think Donald Trump needs to understand that he is not the king, he doesnt get to do whatever he wants, the constitution exists for a reason," Schaefer said.

Demonstrators chanted, "No hate, not fear, immigrants are welcome here."

Kristen Schoettle, a teacher at a school in Southwest Detroit, spoke at the rally.

"I have had five students detained by ICE in the past 10 months," Schoettle said.

Schoettle said she has one student who is currently being held at a detention center in Texas.

"I got to do something and I know whats going on so I have to speak out about it," Schoettle said.

Betty Bryan, a demonstrator from Oxford, also attended the rally.

"Enough is enough and its time," Bryan said. "We just needed to come out and say the things today."

Hank Bryan, another demonstrator from Oxford, shared a similar sentiment.

"Were tired of whats going on," Hank Bryan said.

7 News Detroit reporter Tiarra Braddock spoke to Brian Szmytke, the finance chair of the Oakland County Republican Party, to get his thoughts on the protests.

"I think at the end of the day, we dont have kings in America and unless I missed the news alert, that hasnt changed over the past 250 years so Im not concerned about kings if people have problems, they should go and get involved and they should be active in their community, they should run for office, have their voice heard at the polling box," Szmytke said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Tobias Harris led a balanced scoring attack with 18 points on Saturday as the Detroit Pistons strengthened their hold on the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 109-87 victory over the injury-riddled Minnesota Timberwolves. Jalen Duren had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons, who have won nine of their last 11 games. They began the day with a four-game lead over Boston in the race for the Eastern Conferences top seed. Five other Pistons scored at least 10 points, led by Daniss Jenkins and Ronald Holland II with 13 apiece. Minnesotas Anthony Edwards (right knee inflammation) missed his sixth straight game. The Timberwolves also played without starting forward Jaden McDaniels (right knee soreness) and guard Ayo Dosunmu (right calf soreness). Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (collapsed lung) also missed his sixth straight game. Donte DiVincenzo hit five 3-pointers and led Minnesota with 22 points. Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who shot a season-low 32% (27 for 85) from the floor and 21% (9 for 43) from beyond the arc. Paul Reed scored six quick points on two free throws and two dunks and Caris LaVert hit two fadeaway jumpers as the Pistons pulled out to 33-24 lead after the first quarter. DiVincenzo helped Minnesota rally in the second, scoring all of their points in a 10-2 run that helped the Timberwolves cut the deficit to 49-44 at the half. Up next Pistons: At Oklahoma City on Monday. Timberwolves: At Dallas on Monday. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The Montreal Victoire defeated the New York Sirens 3-1 on Saturday in Detroit in a historic game for the Professional Women's Hockey League.

The game, part of the PWHL Takeover Tour, was the league's first nationally-televised game on linear television thanks to a partnership with Scripps Sports and Ally Financial.

It was also the fourth PWHL Takeover Tour game at Little Caesars Arena, and the second this year. Detroit is now the first city to host four neutral-site PWHL games.

Hear from the New York Sirens and Montreal Victoire players in the video below

New York Sirens players & coach speak after Takeover Tour game in Detroit Montreal Victoire players & coach speak after Takeover Tour game in Detroit

Fans at Little Caesars Arena were loud throughout the game, showing off signs that said the city wants a PWHL team, and cheering for both the Sirens and Victoire.

The Sirens got on the board first with a goal from Casey O'Brien midway through the first period. The game stayed 1-0 after a Sirens goal was reversed on review.

In the third period, the Victoire turned up the offensive pressure and scored three goals two from Catherine Dubois and one from Laura Stacey.

The game featured some big hits and physicality throughout, with seven combined penalties. Several skirmishes during the game led to loud cheers from fans and signs that said "let them fight."

PWHL rules differ slightly from the NHL and instead are similar to the IIHF, related to bodychecking, face protection and fighting.

This is the last PWHL Takeover Tour game in Detroit this season.

After weighing arguments for two months, a federal judge in Fort Myers has issued an opinion in the Alligator Alcatraz civil rights case.

Judge Sheri Polster Chappell ordered the facility, which is run by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to publish its policy allowing attorneys to show up without scheduling a visit and see their client.

Judge orders changes at Alligator Alcatraz including better legal access to detainees

Alligator Alcatraz officials testified in January that the policy allowing unscheduled legal visits had been in place since November, but the policy had never been published and was not widely known to most detainees and their attorneys, who sued the state and federal government last summer, arguing that the lack of access violated their First Amendment rights.

RELATED STORY | 'Alligator Alcatraz' 2.0: Second migrant detention center planned in Florida Everglades

She also ruled that the facility must provide detainees with access to timely, free, confidential, unmonitored, unrecorded outgoing legal calls. They must have one operable phone for every 25 detainees at Alligator Alcatraz. Immigration attorneys and families of detainees have previously told me that detainees can only make outgoing calls on the monitored phones that are in their sleeping area. Theyve said there are typically 2-4 of these phones available inside a cage where dozens of men are held together, and calls are sometimes cut off.

Polster Chappell wrote that the facility must post and publish these policy changes regarding attorney-client communication in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

"Defendants may continue operating alligator Alcatraz, and ICE may continue to deport illegal aliens," the judge wrote. "But they must do so by respecting the most basic constitutional rights."

This article was produced by Jamie Ostroff for the Scripps News Group in West Palm Beach.

With spring break in full swing, airline passengers continued to wait it out at major U.S. airports after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration officers aimed at alleviating long security lines.

Trump's executive order on Friday instructed the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately, although it's unclear when the impact of that move will start to be felt at airports.

The signing came at a busy travel time of the year, with spring breaks at school districts and colleges and the upcoming Passover and Easter holidays.

RELATED STORY | TSA may now get paid, but Congress is still deadlocked on the root problem

Betty Mitchell arrived at Philadelphia International Airport at 12:30 a.m. Saturday for a 5 a.m. flight to visit family, but she said the airline desk did not open until 3 a.m. Once it did, there was a sudden influx of passengers to squeeze into the TSA screening lines.

All at once it became a mad house, Mitchell said.

She waited nearly three hours to get through.

It was crazy long lines, she said. Never have I seen it that long. If the airlines work with TSA in these trouble(d) times, maybe it would help the public.

Whats the current situation on the ground?

Some passengers with very early flights on Saturday reported having little problem getting through airport security lines. But that may have been an anomaly. Others at some of the busiest airports wrote on social media that security lines were growing exponentially longer by the hour.

We have not previously experienced checkpoint wait times similar to what we are seeing this morning, Baltimore-Washington International Airport said in a post Saturday on the social platform X. BWI officials recommended travelers arrive four hours before their scheduled departure time.

When will TSA employees be paid?

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said TSA personnel could get paid as soon as Monday, a relief for workers who have gone without pay since Feb. 14.

While that is welcome news to many, it remains to be seen whether that promise materializes on schedule and if it brings an immediate end to snaking lines at airports.

Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA officer who runs a travel newsletter called Gate Access, said the staffing crisis wont improve significantly until officers are confident that they wont be subjected to more skipped paychecks.

RELATED STORY | Homan says ICE will help fill TSA shortages at airports as travel delays persist

If its only for a pay period, thats not enough to bring them back, Harmon-Marshall said. It has to be an extended pay for them to come back or want to stay there.

He estimates longer lines could linger for another week or two.

How soon will this help with airport delays?

Its hard to tell. Airports that had passengers standing in screening lines that clogged check-in areas or showing up far too early for their flights will need to decide whether to reopen checkpoints or expedite service lanes they closed or consolidated due to inadequate staffing.

A handful of airports experienced daily TSA officer call-out rates of 40%. Nationwide on Thursday, more than 11.8% of the TSA employees on the schedule missed work, the most so far, DHS said Friday.

Nearly 500 of the agency's nearly 50,000 officers have quit since the shutdown started, according to DHS.

How do I monitor wait times before my flight?

Check airport conditions early and often, including official websites and social media accounts where airports share timely updates and guidance, according to experts.

Many airports on Saturday urged passengers to allow at least four hours for both domestic and international screenings.

Wait times can change quickly based on passenger volume and TSA staffing, according to an advisory posted Saturday morning on the website of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Wait times listed on the MyTSA mobile app may not be accurate because TSA isnt actively managing its sites during the shutdown. On third-party websites that track TSA lines, estimated wait times could be outdated during the shutdown if they rely on publicly available data, experts say.

A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to protect former first lady Jill Biden accidentally shot himself in the leg at Philadelphia International Airport on Friday, authorities said.

Biden was not in the area when the agent was injured during a negligent discharge of his firearm Friday morning, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told The Associated Press. According to initial reports, the agent was traveling in an unmarked car when he accidentally discharged his gun shortly before 9 a.m., said Philadelphia Police Officer Tanya Little.

RELATED STORY | Secret Service agent under investigation for trying to bring his wife on trip

Other law enforcement officers came to assist the injured agent, who was taken to a local hospital. He is being treated for his injuries and was in stable condition, Guglielmi said.

Airport operations were not affected, said Heather Redfern, public affairs manager for the city's Department of Aviation.

Organizers of Saturday's No Kings rallies across the country are predicting that the protests against the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration could add up to one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history, with Minnesota taking center stage.

Organizers say more than 3,100 events have been registered in all 50 states, with more than 9 million people expected to participate.

And theyve designated the rally at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul as the national flagship event, in recognition of how the state where federal agents fatally shot two people who were monitoring Trump's immigration crackdown became an epicenter of resistance.

RELATED STORY | 'No Kings Day' rallies under way across the US and Europe, with millions expected to join

Headlining that observance will be Bruce Springsteen, performing Streets of Minneapolis, which he wrote in response to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and in tribute to the thousands of Minnesotans who took to the streets over the winter. Springsteen's Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour, which has a No Kings theme, kicks off Tuesday in Minneapolis.

Minnesota organizers have told state officials they expect 100,000 people could converge on the Capitol grounds, where last Junes event drew an estimated 80,000 people.

The St. Paul rally will also feature singer Joan Baez, actor Jane Fonda, Sen. Bernie Sanders and a long list of other activists, labor leaders and elected officials.

The White House dismissed the nationwide protests as the product of leftist funding networks with little real public support.

The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

RELATED STORY | 'No Kings' protests against Trump bring a street party vibe to cities nationwide

Rallies are also planned in more than a dozen other countries, from Europe to Latin America to Australia, Ezra Levin, a co-executive director of Indivisible, a group spearheading the events, said in an interview. Countries with constitutional monarchies call the protests No Tyrants, he said.

For those unable to attend in person, another activist group, Stand Up For Science, is hosting a virtual and accessible event online.

On Saturday morning in Paris, several hundred people, mostly Americans living in France, along with French labor unions and human rights organizations, gathered at the Bastille.

I protest all of Trumps illegal, immoral, reckless, and feckless, endless wars, Ada Shen, the Paris No Kings organizer, said. It is clear he doesnt really have a plan. It is clearly that the abuse of power is the point. It is very clear that he is a strong man who is abusing the authority vested in him by the American people as our elected president.

National organizers told reporters in an online news conference Thursday that they expect Saturday's protests to be larger than the first two rounds of No Kings rallies, which they estimate drew more than 5 million people in June and more than 7 million in October.

This administrations actions are angering not just Democratic voters or folks in big blue city centers they are crossing a line for people in red and rural areas, in the suburbs, all over the country," said Leah Greenberg, the other co-executive director of Indivisible. "The defining story of this Saturdays mobilization is not just how many people are protesting, but where they are protesting,"

Two-thirds of the RSVPs have come from outside of major urban centers, Greenberg said, listing registration surges in conservative-leaning states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, South Dakota and Louisiana, as well in competitive suburban areas of Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.

"Millions of us are rising up from all walks of life, from rural communities to big cities at No Kings, said Katie Bethell, executive director of MoveOn, another major organizer. And as we do so, we will send the loudest, clearest message yet that this country does not belong to kings, dictators, tyrants. It belongs to us.

More than two months after a medical emergency aboard the International Space Station abruptly ended his crews mission, astronaut Michael Fincke still doesnt know what caused his sudden illness.

Fincke said he experienced a brief period in which he was unable to speak, describing the episode as something that came out of the blue.

We were getting ready for a spacewalk on Jan. 8, and the evening before we had just met with the doctors, he said. I was feeling super. Everyone was feeling super. And then I wasnt.

Four crew members returned to Earth in January after their five-month mission was cut short. NASA did not comment on the severity of the medical issue, citing privacy concerns.

RELATED STORY | NASA announces ambitious plans for a space station on the moon

Fincke said he was eating dinner when he suddenly could not talk.

My crewmates saw I was in distress and immediately started taking care of me, he said. One of the Russian crewmates went to get the others, and it was all hands on deck within seconds.

Within moments, flight doctors on the ground were looped in via video and guided the crew through initial diagnostic tests.

Unlike on Earth, there are no hospitals in space. NASA stocks medical supplies aboard the station, but they are minimal compared to what is available on the ground.

I did my own echocardiogramwe have ultrasounds thereand it looked like I did not have a heart attack, Fincke said. We ran a few other tests to rule out some big issues. Eventually, we felt comfortable saying we didnt know what was going on, but to rule out serious possibilities, we needed to come back to Earth.

During their mission, the crew marked the 25th anniversary of continuous operations on the ISS and completed more than 140 experiments.

RELATED STORY |First medical evacuation from International Space Station brings crew safely home

Fincke believes his sudden illness may have been linked to prolonged exposure to microgravity.

He hopes the experience will help NASA develop strategies to keep astronauts safe during longer missions.

The incident comes as NASA prepares to send a crew on a lunar flyby, potentially as soon as this week. The Artemis program is designed to pave the way for a crewed mission to Mars a journey that could keep astronauts away from Earth for years.

Its a really interesting time right now, Fincke said. As we prepare to spend more time on the moon and Mars, the space station is showing its value in low Earth orbit, helping us understand how humans and microgravity interact.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about potentially contaminated Raw Farm-brand raw cheddar cheese after nine illnesses were reported in California, Texas and Florida.

The illnesses may be tied to Raw Farm block and shredded cheddar cheeses, the FDA said. Those who became ill showed symptoms of E. coli, and three were hospitalized. Eight patients reported consuming raw milk products, including seven who said they used Raw Farm products.

The FDA said Raw Farm declined to voluntarily remove its products from store shelves. Although federal testing has not detected E. coli in the brands cheddar cheeses, the agency noted that lab analysis of isolates from sick patients showed they were closely related genetically, indicating a likely common source of infection.

RELATED STORY | The top 5 recalled products that might still be in your house

Raw Farm President Aaron McAfee said company testing also found no E. coli in its cheese. He added that the company is cooperating with the FDA investigation.

We want them to see what we have, that all of our cheese is negative, McAfee said.

Democratic members of the congressional Food Safety Caucus have urged the FDA to take action to remove the products from shelves.

The FDA recommended that Raw Farm voluntarily remove its raw cheese products from sale after they determined it was the likely source of an ongoing E. coli outbreak, caucus members said. Raw Farm refused. We have one message for Raw Farm and FDA: Get it off the shelves now.

RELATED STORY | Trader Joe's recall expands to millions of pounds of vegetable fried rice

Raw Farm does not pasteurize its dairy products. The FDA advises against consuming unpasteurized milk, noting that pasteurization is a proven process with a 100-year history of protecting public health and is effective at eliminating bacteria that can cause illness.

Federal regulations allow cheese made from raw milk if it is aged for at least 60 days.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile launch toward Israel early Saturday, their first since the war in the Middle East started. The Israeli military said it intercepted the projectile.

The war, now marking its one-month anniversary, erupted after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, which retaliated with strikes against Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states. The conflict has upended global air travel, disrupted oil exports and caused fuel prices to soar. Irans stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has also exacerbated the economic fallout of the war.

Israel struck Irans nuclear facilities hours after threatening to escalate and expand its campaign against Tehran on Friday. Iran vowed to retaliate and struck a base in Saudi Arabia, wounding more than a dozen U.S. service members and damaging planes.

RELATED STORY | Iran war diverts US attention as Russia launches spring offensive in Ukraine

Before Saturdays attack, there appeared to be a breakthrough as Tehran agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the strait.

Houthi involvement could further complicate the war

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a statement aired Saturday morning on the rebels' Al-Masirah satellite television that the Houthis fired a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting what he described as sensitive Israeli military sites in southern Israel. The attack came hours after Saree signaled in a vague statement Friday that the rebels would join the war.

Sirens went off around Israels southern city of Beer Sheba and the area near Israels main nuclear research center as Iran and Hezbollah continued to fire on Israel overnight. Loud explosions also filled the air in Tel Aviv and Israels Fire and Rescue Service said it was responding to 11 different impact sites across the metro area.

Saturday's assault calls into question whether the Houthis will again target commercial shipping traveling through the Red Sea corridor, as they did during the Israel-Hamas war, upending traffic in the Red Sea through which about $1 trillion worth of goods passed each year before the war. The rebels also fired drones at Israel.

The potential involvement of the Houthis in the war would also complicate the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the aircraft carrier that first went to port in Crete for repairs and on to Split, Croatia, where it arrived on Saturday. Sending the carrier back into the Red Sea could draw it into the same high tempo of attacks seen by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2024 and the USS Harry S. Truman in the 2025 American campaign against the Houthis.

The Houthis have held Yemens capital, Sanaa, since 2014, and so far had stayed out of the war as the rebels have had an uneasy ceasefire for years with Saudi Arabia, which launched a war against the group on behalf of Yemens exiled government in 2015.

More than two dozen US troops have been wounded in Iranian attacks on Saudi base in the past week, AP sources say

More than two dozen U.S. troops have been wounded in Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabias Prince Sultan Air Base in the past week, according to two people who have been briefed on the matter. Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at the base in the Friday attack that injured at least 15 troops, including five seriously, according to the sources who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The base, about 96 kilometers (60 miles) from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, came under attack twice earlier in the week, including a strike that wounded 14 U.S. troops, according to the people briefed on the matter. The base is run by the Royal Saudi Air Force but is also used by U.S. troops.

Attempts at diplomacy as US troops build up in the Mideast

The latest attacks happened after Trump claimed that talks on ending the war were going very well and that he had given Tehran until April 6 to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran maintains that it has not engaged in any negotiations.

With the economic repercussions from the war extending far beyond the Middle East, Trump is under growing pressure to end Irans chokehold on the strait.

Pakistan said Saturday Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send their top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a statement that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkeys Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egypts Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty will arrive Sunday for a two-day visit to hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.

RELATED STORY | Iranian strike wounds at least 10 US troops and damages planes at Saudi air base, official says

Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for more than an hour, holding extensive discussions on regional hostilities and efforts aimed at end the war.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has said Washington delivered a 15-point action list to Iran for a possible ceasefire, with a proposal to restrict Irans nuclear program and reopen the strait. Tehran rejected the proposal and presented its own five-point proposal that included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway.

Meanwhile, U.S. ships drew closer to the region carrying some 2,500 Marines, and at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne trained to land in hostile territory to secure key positions and airfields have been ordered to the Middle East.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops.

Death toll climbs

Iranian authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.

In Lebanon, where Israel has started an invasion in the south, officials said more than 1,100 people have been killed since the start of the war.

Meanwhile, at least 13 U.S. troops have been reported killed, while in Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died.

In the Gulf states, 20 people have been killed and four others in the occupied West Bank.

The U.N.s International Organization for Migration also said Friday that 82,000 civilian buildings in Iran, including hospitals and the homes of 180,000 people, were damaged.

Israel strikes Iranian nuclear facilities

Israel focused its attacks Friday on sites in the heart of Tehran where ballistic missiles and other weapons are produced, the military said. It said it also hit missile launchers and storage sites in Western Iran, while witnesses in eastern Tehran reported a partial power outage following airstrikes.

Irans Atomic Energy Organization said the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex in Arak and the Ardakan yellowcake production plant in Yazd Province were targeted, IRNA reported. The strikes did not cause casualties and there was no risk of contamination, it said.

Yellowcake is a concentrated form of uranium after impurities are removed from the raw ore. Heavy water is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors.

The Israeli military later said raw materials are processed for enrichment at the Yazd plant and the strike was a major blow to Iran's nuclear program. Tehran vowed to retaliate.

Possible breakthrough to allow aid and agricultural shipments through Hormuz

Iran agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following a request from the United Nations.

Ali Bahreini, the countrys ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said Iran agreed to facilitate and expedite such movement.

The vital waterway usually handles a fifth of the worlds oil shipments and nearly a third of the worlds fertilizer trade. While markets and governments have largely focused on blocked supplies of oil and natural gas, the restriction of fertilizer ingredients and trade threatens farming and food security around the world.

WASHINGTON (AP) Tarris Reed Jr. scored 20 points, Alex Karaban added 17, and both made pressure-packed free throws in the final minute that helped second-seeded UConn hold off third-seeded Michigan State 67-63 in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.

The Huskies (32-5) led 63-62 when Karaban was fouled with 22.5 seconds remaining. He made both ends of a one-and-one to give UConn a three-point lead, and after Michigan State was unable to find a quick shot, Kur Teng's 3-pointer missed.

A foul was called on the Huskies on the rebound with 4.6 seconds remaining. Carson Cooper made the first for Michigan State. He missed the second it did not appear to be intentional and Reed rebounded. His two free throws effectively sealed the win.

UConn advances to a true heavyweight clash in Sunday's final of the NCAA Tournament's East Region against top-seeded Duke.

Michigan State (27-8) overcame an early 19-point deficit but bowed out on a night the Spartans shot just 4 of 16 from 3-point range.

The four teams that arrived in Washington this week have combined for 13 national titles, so it was no surprise that both games Friday were pulsating. Dukes 80-75 win over St. Johns in the opener came down to the last few seconds.

It looked at first like the second game wouldnt. Malachi Smith, Solo Ball and Jaylin Stewart combined for four 3-pointers during a 15-1 run that put UConn up 25-6. The Spartans had to clamp down defensively over the final three minutes just to trail 35-27 at halftime.

Michigan State scored the first seven points of the second, but the Huskies pushed back. After a steal and dunk by Reed put UConn back up by six, Huskies coach Dan Hurley began waving his arms wildly at the fans behind his bench, exhorting them to be louder.

The Spartans didnt waver. A three-point play by Jaxon Kohler with 10:06 to play put Michigan State up 45-44.

A short scoring draught by the Spartans allowed UConn to take a 56-49 on a driving layup by Ball, but it stayed tight until the end. The Huskies led 58-57 when Karaban made a 3. Jeremy Fears Jr. answered from beyond the arc for Michigan State to cut the lead to one.

Reed made two free throws with 44.8 seconds to play, and Fears made two with 32.3 remaining.

Up next

Michigan State: Cooper and Kohler are both seniors, but coach Tom Izzo is showing little sign of slowing down at this stage of his career.

UConn: The Huskies' matchup with Duke might feel more like a Final Four game. In fact, they met in the 1999 title game, with UConn winning.

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AP March Madness bracket:

https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket

and coverage:

https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

A surge in youth violence in Detroit last summer, which included the fatal shooting of a 4-year-old at a park, has sparked a new program aimed at preventing violence before it happens.

Organizers launched a Community Violence Intervention, or CVI, youth flag football league to keep at-risk youth engaged and teach them long-term skills.

Watch Christiana Ford's video report below: Detroit youth flag football league launched by Community Violence Intervention groups

"We think one life lost is too many," organizers said.

Cierra Renee with nonprofit FORCE Detroit said the violence last summer prompted the groups to take action.

"Last summer was heartbreaking. We had so many violent incidents around our youth. We said this summer, we have to be proactive and make sure we have things that are leading up to the summer, so that they can be engaged and be ready," Renee said.

Each CVI team Team Pursuit, Detroit Friends and Family, Live in Peace, Detroit 300 and The Peoples Action will have their own group of 20 players ages 11 to 17. The league consists of at-risk youth that many of the organizers have already been working with.

Pastor Maurice "Mo" Hardwick, leader of the Live in Peace Movement, says the league provides an additional dedicated time to focus on the youth.

"Coming here and breaking bread with them, talking to them. We have all kind of interventions, all type of things we do with them, but being in sports, having a moment like this where we take aside our day, our Friday evening and make this all about them," Hardwick said.

The goal is to not only keep the youth busy over the summer but to teach them long-term skills.

"We were very intentional about building a curriculum, where were going to focus about themes every week while theyre in practice. They're going to take time out and really learn about conflict resolution, emotional health. We're gonna learn about grounding," Renee said.

Keontae Alexander, 17, said the CVI group Live in Peace intervened when he was about to get into an altercation.

"It was this one day, Im at the park, I was up there about to fight and they were up there and they grabbed me and they pulled me to the side and they talked to me," Alexander said.

Alexander said the group never left his side.

"My life changed 100% around all thanks to LIP," Alexander said. "I feel like this is most definitely gonna keep me off the streets and keep me occupied, give me something to do."

Markell Windham, 14, is participating with the CVI group Team Pursuit and said he can hardly wait to start. His mentors have already bonded him out of juvenile detention, got him back on track and helped him return to school.

"Its good and its very motivating like itll push you to do stuff you dont even think youll be able to do," Windham said.

Games are Friday nights at the Chandler Park Fieldhouse.

Related video: Cass Tech hosts Detroit's first indoor field lacrosse game at new Chandler Park Fieldhouse Cass Tech hosts Detroit's first indoor field lacrosse game at new Chandler Park Fieldhouse

Organizers hope the league serves as a long-term strategy to protect youth in the city.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

A 2-year-old is safe after being inside a car that was repossessed in Detroit on Friday.

Detroit police say as soon as the repo driver was notified the toddler was in the car, he turned around and the child was reunited with their mother.

Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report below: Detroit toddler safe after being accidentally towed inside a repossessed car

I learned the driver who took the car was with the company Bulldog Recovery. I stopped by the business and spoke to the driver off camera. He told me he looked inside the car, but the windows were so dark he did not see a child inside. He also told me the child was covered in a blanket.

Jenny Liagre is the owner of Rockwood Recovery in Roseville and the past president of the Michigan Association of Repossession Agencies. She spoke to the driver who took the car with the toddler inside.

"He did his due diligence. He did exactly what he was trained to do. He followed protocol to a T," Liagre said.

"He is a seasoned vet. He knows what hes doing. He did everything he was supposed to do," Liagre said.

"The first thing the agent is going to do is check the VIN on the vehicle to make sure he has the right vehicle and then hes going to check the inside of the vehicle to make sure there was no one inside the vehicle as well," Liagre continued. "If those windows werent as dark as they were, he wouldve noticed that there was a child in that vehicle."

Liagre said the driver from Bulldog Recovery told her he is happy the child is safe.

"He said he pulled over about four or five different times just to make sure the kid was OK and luckily, the child was sleep for the entire ride," Liagre said.

Earlier this month, a 13-month-old child was found alive inside a locked car at an impound lot in Eastpointe nearly two days after the car was towed from a Harper Woods street. The childs father was arrested and has since been charged with child abuse.

Related story: Father charged after toddler found trapped in locked impounded car for nearly 2 days Father charged after toddler found trapped in locked impounded car

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

CHICAGO (AP) Yaxel Lendeborg had 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a dazzling all-around performance, and Michigan beat Alabama 90-77 on Friday night to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.

Trey McKenney and Elliot Cadeau each scored 17 points as top-seeded Michigan set a school record with its 34th win of the season. Roddy Gayle Jr. finished with 16 points.

Led by McKenney and Gayle, the Wolverines (34-3) enjoyed a 33-6 advantage in bench points. But the versatile Lendeborg was the star of the show as his team grabbed control in the second half.

Next up for the Wolverines is Sunday's Midwest Region final against the winner of Tennessee-Iowa State.

Labaron Philon Jr. scored 35 points for fourth-seeded Alabama, which reached the Elite Eight each of the previous two years. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. had 15 points.

Alabama (25-10) was once again without star guard Aden Holloway, who missed the school's tournament run after he was suspended indefinitely following a March 16 arrest on felony drug charges.

Even without Holloway, the Crimson Tide stayed right with the Wolverines for much of the up-tempo matchup of two of the tournament's highest scoring teams. But everything changed when Lendeborg, the Big Ten player of the year, started to assert himself at the beginning of the second half.

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AP March Madness bracket:

https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket

and coverage:

https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness