JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 904

Cincinnati — The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 on Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park, as Oneil Cruz hit two home runs and Ryan O'Hearn and Bryan Reynolds added long balls in a multi-homer offensive performance on March 31.

The win featured a five-run second inning, a diving defensive stop by Brandon Lowe and three pitchers holding the Reds hitless into the seventh; Reynolds reached his 139th career homer and Cruz finished 3-for-4, and the teams will continue the series this week with updated pitching matchups.

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Tuesday night after Shane McClanahan held them hitless into the fifth inning in his first major-league appearance since August 2023; Gary Sánchez and Jake Bauers homered and Brice Turang drove in two runs.

McClanahan took the loss (0-1) after allowing runs in the fifth, finishing with three runs (two earned), two hits, three walks and four strikeouts; teammates and coaches described his outing as a recovery milestone, and the team will monitor his workload in upcoming starts this week.

ATLANTA — The United States lost 2-0 to Portugal on Tuesday as Mauricio Pochettino’s experimental lineup conceded goals to Francisco Trincão (37th) and João Félix (59th); Pochettino said small details cost the team while Christian Pulisic, moved to striker, remained scoreless.

The result, following a prior 5-2 loss to Belgium this window, extended Pulisic’s international drought and intensified roster evaluation; Pochettino and staff said they will continue tactical testing and review player minutes and positional data ahead of final World Cup selections.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday night when Bowen Byram scored an empty-net goal with 1:43 remaining, pushing Buffalo to 100 points this season and marking the franchise's status among NHL teams to reach 2,000 wins.

The victory moved the Sabres closer to clinching a playoff spot; they can secure qualification with a road win at Ottawa on Thursday. Goaltenders Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (25 saves) and Ilya Sorokin (29 saves), recent opponent injuries and Ottawa's poor form were noted as factors this week.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Tuesday night in Tampa, with goaltender Jakub Dobes recording 35–36 saves and scorers Juraj Slafkovsky, Mike Matheson and Cole Caufield each contributing to Montreal's victory.

The win extended Montreal's streak to six games, moved the Canadiens within two points of Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division this week, ended Tampa Bay's regulation unbeaten run, and altered immediate playoff positioning as both teams jockey for seeding.

WASHINGTON, United States: President Donald Trump on Tuesday, April 1, 2026, signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to compile a national list of verified eligible voters and instructing the U.S. Postal Service to limit absentee ballot mailings to those on state-approved lists.

State election officials and Democratic lawyers immediately vowed legal challenges this week, citing constitutional concerns over federal intrusion into state-run elections; the administration said the measures aim to improve voting integrity, while courts, potentially up to the Supreme Court, may decide disputes before the November midterm elections.

Bloomington, Ind. — On Wednesday Fernando Mendoza completed 53 of 56 passes at Indiana's pro day as all 32 NFL teams observed; the Heisman winner's workout was televised by the NFL Network and attended by Raiders general manager John Spytek and coach Klint Kubiak.

The Raiders' presence and Mendoza’s near-perfect performance reinforced his projection as the likely No. 1 overall pick this month; coach Klint Kubiak said at league meetings Tuesday that the organization would prefer a veteran mentor for a rookie, and discussions over roster planning continue.

Washington — On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss permanently blocked President Donald Trump's May 1, 2025 executive order that directed federal agencies to end funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, concluding the order unlawfully targeted disfavored viewpoints and violated the First Amendment's prohibition on viewpoint discrimination.

Washington — The decision, arising from a suit by PBS, preserves NPR and PBS ability to seek federal funds while the case proceeds and may be appealed by the administration; this week Judge Moss emphasized protections for journalists and emergency broadcasting, even as Congress and some states have reduced public-broadcasting appropriations.

Baghdad: An American freelance journalist, Shelly Kittleson, was kidnapped Tuesday in central Baghdad near the Baghdad Hotel, Iraqi officials and Al-Monitor said. Iraqi Interior Ministry confirmed a foreign journalist had been abducted and security forces launched a pursuit and recovery operation immediately.

Iraqi forces intercepted a vehicle and arrested one suspect after a chase near Al-Haswa in Babil province; one vehicle overturned and was seized. U.S. officials have blamed the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, while Al-Monitor called for Kittleson’s safe and immediate release as searches continue.

Washington — TMZ published photos and videos this week showing multiple lawmakers traveling or vacationing while a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown entered its 45th day, including a photo of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at Fort Lauderdale airport and reports that Rep. Seth Magaziner plans a watch party on April 2.

The images have increased public scrutiny and prompted calls for Congress to return; President Donald Trump urged lawmakers back this week, the Senate approved a bipartisan funding deal last week that the House rejected, and federal workers continue to go unpaid while airport security disruptions persist.