(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SPRING TRAINING
INTERLEAGUE
Philadelphia 4, Minnesota 4 (Tie)
Detroit 8, Pittsburgh 7
Tampa Bay 3, Atlanta 3 (Tie)
NY Yankees 4, Washington 2
Anaheim 4, Milwaukee 3
Chi Cubs 5, Seattle 3
Oakland 14, Cincinnati 14 (Tie)
LA Dodgers 4, Texas 2
San Diego 5, Texas 1
Kansas City 8, Colorado 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 2, Baltimore 1
Boston 4, Houston 4 (Tie)
Cleveland 9, Chi White Sox 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NY Mets 8, Miami 4
Arizona 8, San Francisco 5
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Phoenix 105, Charlotte 91
Chicago 117, Detroit 115
Philadelphia 119, Miami 96
New York 142, Brooklyn 118
Boston 117, Cleveland 113
Milwaukee 139, Orlando 117
LA Lakers 123, Oklahoma City 117
Memphis 113, Houston 99
New Orleans 121, Portland 110
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
NY Rangers 3, Philadelphia 2 (OT)
Edmonton 5, Toronto 2
Dallas 4, Arizona 2
Washington 3, Anaheim 2 (OT)
Vegas 3, Carolina 2
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Xavier 94, Providence 89
Alabama 90, Auburn 85
UConn 88, DePaul 59
Ohio State 73, Maryland 62
Notre Dame 88, Pittsburgh 81
Vanderbilt 68, Kentucky 66
Kansas St. 85, Oklahoma 69
Gonzaga 104, Chicago St. 65
TCU 75, Texas 73
(NEW YORK) — On Wednesday, former Trump White House adviser Kellyanne Conway met with prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office as part of their criminal investigation into Trump and the alleged hush payment to Stormy Daniels, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Conway is the latest witness to meet with prosecutors. Others include Michael Cohen, Trump’s one time fixer and lawyer who funded the payment, and David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer who helped arrange it.
Last month, Cohen gave his 15th interview with the district attorney’s office, which was the first since a recently convened grand jury began hearing evidence about Daniels’ long-denied affair with Trump. Pecker appeared before the grand jury on Jan. 30.
A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment about Conway’s appearance or the status of the investigation into Trump’s role in the payment, that was made to Daniels in the closing moments of the 2016 presidential campaign to keep her quiet about a long-denied affair she alleged she had with Trump.
The hush-money case was initially rejected by former District Attorney Cy Vance, but revived under current DA Bragg, whose office has been fending off criticism of a decision not to charge Trump earlier.
Conway’s meeting was first reported by The New York Times.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and dismissed the investigation as political and has called Bragg’s investigation a “witch hunt.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is probing whether Trump had a hand in falsifying business records when his company reimbursed Cohen the $130,000 he gave to Daniels, ABC News has previously reported according to sources.
(PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad) — After surviving on ketchup while lost at sea for weeks, Elvis Francois said he is hoping a ketchup company’s social media search for him can lead to easier days ahead.
“I’m kind of stressed out,” Francois told ABC News, from Paix Bouche, a village located in the northern part of Dominica.
Francois said he had just finished a virtual meeting with officials from The Kraft Heinz Company, the maker of Heinz ketchup.
“They say they’re going to organize, to see how I could get something,” Francois said.
The company just days earlier sent out a social media SOS, with the hashtag #FindTheKetchupBoatGuy, trying to find him.
Francois, a 47-year-old Dominican native had spent 24 days drifting in the Caribbean Sea.
That drift began on a December day, as Francois was repairing his boat at a port in Saint Martin. While drifting, he said he ate ketchup three times a day. Seaweed and sea water also became part of his diet to stay alive.
“If I didn’t have those things I wouldn’t have made it,” Francois told ABC News. “At a certain time I had kind of given up, I had no hope.”
A plane spotted Francois in waters off the northen tip of Colombia. Pilots notified Colombian authorities, who then radioed a large cargo ship.
After he was rescued, authorities sent him back to Dominica. A fire had destroyed Francois’ home in the fishing village of Anse De Mai, Dominica, a year ago. He said he lost everything, and left the island in search of a better life. He ended up in Saint Martin.
He now sleeps in what’s left of his burned-down house.
“I just blocked up a side, and that’s how I’m living for the time,” Francois said.
“Trying to go in the market, and see if I could sell produce, but after a year there’s nothing much in the soil,” he added.
Heinz’s social media search ended after Dominican news outlet EmoNews was able to track down Francois.
“Heinz was able to contact Elvis and discuss the best way to help support him and his family,” said a Kraft Heinz spokesperson, Jenna Thornton. “Heinz and Elvis are working out the logistical details of gifting him his new boat,” she said.
Francois told ABC News he’s hoping the helping hand from the American company comes soon, and that he needs a financial lifeline to survive now that he’s back on land.
“There’s a lot of other things I need, because for the moment, I’m at zero,” he said.
(PUNO, Peru) — A man stopped for drinking in a park in Peru was found to be in possession of more than just a container of alcohol.
Juan Cesar Bermejo, 26, had a 600 to 800-year-old mummy in a cooler bag, authorities in the South American nation told ABC News.
Bermejo, a food delivery man, was allegedly showing off the mummy to two friends in the park in the southern city of Puno on Saturday, the Peruvian National Police said.
“I take care of her and she takes care of me,” Bermejo allegedly told police to justify the presence of the mummified corpse in his bag.
Police say Bermejo was on the job at the time he was stopped and searched.
According to police, Bermejo said he even named the mummy “Juanita” and called her his “spiritual friend.”
But authorities say the mummy is believed to be that of a male. Its now in possession of Peru’s ministry of culture, authorities said this week.
It’s unclear how the man came to be in possession of the mummy. Mummification was a common practice among several cultures in Peru before the arrival of Spanish conquistadores in the 16th Century. In November 2021, archeologists in Peru discovered a mummy believed to be up to 1,200 years old in a underground tomb.
Bermejo has been charged with illegal possession of historical patrimony and could face up to 5 years in jail.
(NEW YORK) — An imminent ruling from a Texas federal judge could soon block the use of a common abortion medication across the United States, leaving one drug available.
More than half of all abortions in the United States use a combination of two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group focusing on sexual and reproductive health.
However, a lawsuit is asking that mifepristone be pulled from the market just months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The lawsuit claims mifepristone is not safe, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn’t study it closely enough before it was approved.
Misoprostol would still be available for both abortions and miscarriages on its own, but as an off-label use.
OB-GYNs and abortion providers tell ABC News that data from around the world shows misoprostol is safe and effective — and that they’re ready to provide misoprostol-only abortions — but that the two-dose regimen is more effective.
“We’ve got over 20 years of data showing the safety and efficacy of mifepristone and misoprostol for abortions,” Dr. Alisa Goldberg, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, told ABC News. “And we know from at least 20 years of data that this regimen works better than misoprostol alone, but if that’s all we have, it’s a safe and reasonable option for patients as well.”
Mifepristone and misoprostol together
Typically, to either induce an abortion or help manage an early miscarriage, mifepristone is taken first. It’s been approved by the FDA since 2000.
Mifepristone works by blocking a hormone called progesterone, which is needed for a pregnancy to continue. This causes the uterine lining to stop thickening and to break down, detaching the embryo.
“It just gets the body primed and ready for the rest of the abortion and then the next step is you take misoprostol,” Dr. Laura Laursen, an OB-GYN at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, told ABC News.
The second drug, misoprostol, taken 24 to 48 hours later, causes the uterus to contract and dilates the cervix, which will expel the embryo.
When used in combination, the two drugs are nearly 97% effective at terminating a pregnancy, according to a 2015 systematic review from the University of California, Davis.
Is misoprostol effective and what are the side effects?
Currently, the only FDA label use of misoprostol is for gastric ulcers. However, there are several off-label uses for obstetrical and gynecological purposes including treating postpartum hemorrhaging and softening and opening the cervix for patients ready to give birth vaginally, experts told ABC News.
Numerous countries don’t have access to mifepristone and, therefore, only use misoprostol for abortions.
One 2019 study found “misoprostol alone is effective and safe and is a reasonable option for women seeking abortion in the first trimester.”
Another systematic review conducted in July 2020 found misoprostol, especially given in higher doses, was safe and effective in terminating a pregnancy.
However, research suggests that using misoprostol with mifepristone is more effective than misoprostol alone.
“The issue with misoprostol is that it generally takes longer to complete the abortion,” said Laursen. “It’s generally at least three to four doses of misoprostol, three hours apart. So, you know, at least 12 to 18 hours.”
She continued, “There’s more side effects. There is generally more nausea, more diarrhea associated with it.”
How abortion care could change
If mifepristone loses FDA approval, clinicians who provide abortions will be able to offer either surgical abortions or misoprostol-only abortions, but the new regimen will include extra training to properly communicate to patients their options.
“For many of us, it’s going to be the first time we’re prescribing this regimen, many of us didn’t provide abortions before mifepristone was available,” Laursen said. “For us who are experts in dealing with abortion care, we are going to be working through a new system and a new dosing regimen and something that we’re all a little less comfortable with.”
Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said clinics in the state will be ready to provide misoprostol-only abortions.
Illinois clinics have seen an influx of patients travel for abortion care because every state it borders has significantly limited abortion care since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Supreme Court decision that saw Roe overturned, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Mifepristone being banned means patients may lose access to telehealth services to get abortion pills and clinics could be even more inundated.
“The Dobbs decision already made abortion out of access fir many patients who live in states that have banned or so heavily restricted abortion,” Welch said. “And we anticipate that [banning mifepristone] will just make it more difficult for some patients to get the care that they want and need.”
Goldberg said even if people have to rely on misoprostol-only abortions, it’s another step towards stripping Americans of certain reproductive freedoms.
“We know from misoprostol-only abortions that are that are offered around the world that it is a safe and effective option,” she said. “But we also know that mifepristone-misoprostol is better and it’s a shame if we lose it.”
(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Republicans on Thursday introduced The Parents Bill of Rights, which they say would give parents more insight and power into their children’s education.
According to a breakdown of the bill from Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., school districts would be publicly required to post curriculum information, provide parents with a copy of revisions to state education standards, provide parents with the list of books and reading materials available in the library and more.
“You have a say in your kids’ education, not government and not telling you what to do,” McCarthy said in his remarks.
Activists, parents and families from across the country gathered in the Rayburn Room to tout the new proposal alongside McCarthy, the House Republican Conference chair, Elise Stefanik, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx and others.
According to Letlow, parents must also be allowed to address their local school board on issues impacting their children’s education and must be given a say when schools update privacy policies while schools should be encouraged to consider community feedback in decision making.
The bill would require parental consent before medical exams take place at school, “including mental health or substance use disorder screenings,” and inform parents of violent activity at school.
“We are going to fight to make sure that our voices are heard, that we have a right to have a seat at the table when it comes to our children’s education,” Letlow said Thursday.
A similar bill in 2021, from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., failed to move forward in the previous Congress.
The new bill has 73 republican co-sponsors and the GOP-led House “will pass” it later this year, Stefanik said.
“I couldn’t imagine someone would oppose a Parents Bill of Rights,” McCarthy told ABC News after the event, adding, “Parent gets to guarantee[d] to know what their children are being taught, parent gets to know what their money is being spent on. … More importantly, the parents get to know if there is any activity on campus that could harm their child or not.”
However, the debate over what is taught in public school classrooms and how has indeed become controversial and education has been a hot-button issue for the GOP since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed schooling into the home during widespread shutdowns.
In his House speaker acceptance speech in January, McCarthy said he would help pass bills to address what he claimed was “woke indoctrination in our schools.”
It’s a sentiment applauded and repeated by conservative legislators targeting education, though Democrats have criticized such efforts as discriminatory and anti-free speech.
Across the country, Republican lawmakers have sought to restrict certain subjects from classrooms as well as allow some parents to have more control over their child’s education and access to certain material.
In recent years, schools and libraries have been bombarded with a record number of calls for book banning from conservative groups that have primarily affected literature written by or about people of color or LGBTQ people, according to the American Library Association, which tracks book ban attempts.
Republican-backed legislation in several states has also sought to restrict race-related or LGBTQ-related content in schools, some of which has been criticized by educators and students and has pushed some teachers from schools.
In Florida, more than one million books are under review due to recent legislation banning certain race- and LGBTQ-related content in schools.
The National Education Association, the largest labor union in the U.S., which represents educators and school faculty, said in a statement that the new education bill in the House is driving a wedge between educators and parents who “continue to be partners, working to ensure all students, no matter their race or background, have the opportunity to succeed.”
“McCarthy would rather seek to stoke racial and social division and distract us from what will really help our students thrive: an inspiring, inclusive, and age-appropriate curriculum that prepares each and every one of them for their future,” NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement.
She continued, “Parents and voters agree that elected leaders should be focused on getting students the individualized support they need, keeping guns out of schools, and addressing educator shortages.”
Shinedown is partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for the band’s upcoming Revolutions Live tour.
For each ticket sold on the run, Brent Smith and company will be donating $1 to AFSP.
“Partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention means a great deal to Barry [Kerch], Zach [Myers], Eric [Bass] and myself,” Smith says. “Our appreciation for this incredible organization has grown year after year as we have witnessed the life-saving work that AFSP does and the resources it offers to address this urgent public health crisis that has far-reaching impacts on families and communities.”
Smith adds, “Please remember — the world is a much better place with you in it.”
The Revolutions Live tour runs from April 3 in Saginaw, Michigan, to May 9 in Portland, Oregon. Three Days Grace and From Ashes to New are also on the bill.
Shinedown will be touring in support of their new album, Planet Zero, which was released last July.
If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or by visiting 988lifeline.org. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
Miley Cyrus is giving a fans a special treat in celebration of “Flowers” topping the Billboard Hot 100 for the sixth week in a row. She announced she’ll release the demo version of the song on Friday.
The Weeknd‘s Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium show wasn’t just turned into an HBO Max concert special, it’s also an album that comes out Friday. He shared the news on Instagram, along with the album’s cover art.
Pitbull shared a snippet of a new song, which he said was produced by Lil’ John. The song, titled “Mami,” drops Friday.
You never know what’ll happen at a Lizzo concert: fans in Germany were recently treated to her cover of metal band Rammstein‘s “Du Hast.”
BTS‘ Jungkook has left Instagram. Soompi reports the singer told fans on the Weverse app that he deleted his account because he doesn’t really use it. The rest of his bandmates are still on Instagram.
Lil Nas X is one of the headliners for the 2023 NCAA March Madness Music Fest. Tickets for the free event are available on the NCAA website. The event runs March 31 to April 2 at Discovery Green Park in Houston, Texas.
If you can’t make it to the seventh annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert, which features artists like John Mayer and Sheryl Crow, you can livestream the March 9 event for a $20 donation.
Lewis Capaldi sported a Niall Horan mask during a recent concert. After a fan gave him the mask, he briefly sang a terrible rendition of Niall’s new song, “Heaven,” complete with a “bad Irish accent.”
Niall responded by wearing a Lewis mask and poorly singing his song “Pointless,” but in a “great Scottish accent.”
Miley Cyrus is giving a fans a special treat in celebration of “Flowers” topping the Billboard Hot 100 for the sixth week in a row. She announced she’ll release the demo version of the song on Friday.
The Weeknd‘s Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium show wasn’t just turned into an HBO Max concert special, it’s also an album that comes out Friday. He shared the news on Instagram along with the album’s cover art.
If you can’t make it to the seventh annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert, which features artists like John Mayer and Sheryl Crow, you can livestream the March 9 event for a $20 donation.
Lewis Capaldi sported a Niall Horan mask during a recent concert. After a fan gave him the mask, he briefly sang a terrible rendition of Niall’s new song, “Heaven,” complete with a “bad Irish accent.”
The former One Direction singer responded by wearing a Lewis mask and poorly singing his song “Pointless,” but in a “great Scottish accent.”
Paramount+’s further adventures of Kelsey Grammer‘s Frasier Crane have landed a major foil: That’s right, Lilith has entered the building.
Stage and screen star Bebe Neuwirth will reprise as Crane’s intelligent, icy ex-wife in an episode of the reboot, ABC Audio has confirmed.
The couple, who first appeared on Cheers, did reunite occasionally on NBC’s spin-off Frasier, with the pair leaving off on good terms as co-parents to their child, Freddy.
However, things are back to normal between Frasier and Lilith on the new show, Paramount+ teases. “When they reunite at Freddy’s birthday party, Lilith, in classic form, is far from pleased about having to share Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) now that Frasier is back living in Boston. What begins as a fun party with friends and family, inevitably becomes a Lilith-and-Frasier showdown for the ages!”
The new Frasier show got underway on Wednesday in Los Angeles live in front of a studio audience, with former Frasier and Cheers director and producer James Burrows calling the shots on the first two episodes.
The streaming service explains the new series follows Frasier Crane “in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston, Mass., with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill.”
