JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 910

United States: Local weather services issued Sunday forecasts for different regions, reporting cool starts and daytime warming across Alabama, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Forecasters on March 29 described morning lows near freezing, breezy coastal winds, and an approaching pattern bringing increased humidity and rain chances later in the week.

Charlotte and Birmingham forecasts warned of midweek warming with highs reaching 70s–80s by Tuesday and scattered shower or thunderstorm chances by Wednesday–Thursday, with WBRC assigning about a 60% chance midweek. Gulf Coast advisories flagged a high rip-current risk Sunday; burn bans remained active in parts of the Carolinas.

Washington — This week the Pentagon drew up plans for possible weeks-long ground operations inside Iran, outlining raids by Special Operations forces alongside conventional infantry and repositioning naval strike groups and Marines to the Middle East, according to U.S. officials and multiple media reports.

The moves prompted U.S. officials to describe the options as contingency planning while President Trump has not authorized action; deployments include carrier and amphibious groups and thousands of personnel, with officials warning operations would face Iranian drones, missiles and coastal defenses.

San Francisco matched a franchise mark with 20 consecutive scoreless innings to start the season, then registered their first run in the third inning Saturday when Jung Hoo Lee doubled and Matt Chapman drove him in, but the Giants lost 3-1 and were swept by the New York Yankees.

The sweep left the Yankees 3-0 to open the season and showcased strong starting pitching and bullpen work, while the Giants, under new manager Tony Vitello, struggled to convert late-inning opportunities; the Yankees were off Sunday and scheduled to begin a road series in Seattle Monday.

Atlanta — On Saturday, March 28, 2026, Dominic Smith hit a walk-off grand slam at Truist Park, turning a tied game into a 6-2 victory for the Atlanta Braves against the Kansas City Royals and concluding a six-run ninth-inning rally.

The win marked Smith’s Braves debut and, per the Elias Sports Bureau, the first walk-off grand slam by a player in his debut with a new team; teammates and reporters noted his recent bereavement and the club’s emotional support following the game.

Sacramento, Calif. — Olivia Miles scored 28 points, added 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead third-seeded TCU to a 79-69 Sweet 16 victory over Virginia on Saturday, advancing the Horned Frogs to the Elite Eight in the women’s NCAA Tournament.

TCU (32-5) will face No. 1 South Carolina on March 30 at Golden 1 Center; Marta Suarez contributed a 33-point, 10-rebound performance, and both senior standouts are noted for elevated draft profiles as TCU pursues a Final Four berth.

FORT WORTH, Texas. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma criticized the NCAA's two-site regional format on Saturday, saying the structure used for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight since 2023 creates logistical problems and undermines efforts to grow women's basketball ahead of his team's Elite Eight game.

His remarks, delivered during a pre-Elite Eight news conference this week, cited attendance, shooting percentages, scheduling and unused equipment; NCAA officials have told reporters the two-site system is contracted for multiple additional seasons, and coaches have asked for clearer rationale and evidence of effectiveness.

Fort Worth, Texas. Michigan defeated Louisville 71-52 at Dickies Arena on Saturday, March 28, as Olivia Olson scored 19 points and Syla Swords added 16, overcoming a first-half deficit and producing a decisive second-half margin to end Louisville's NCAA Tournament run.

Michigan's victory advanced the Wolverines to the Elite Eight and set a Monday, 7 p.m. matchup against the winner of No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Kentucky; Louisville finished the season 29-7 with turnovers and a poor second quarter cited as key factors.

United States: Multiple local fire departments responded to residential and brush fires across several states this weekend, with incidents in Bowling Green, Plainwell, Freetown, Aberdeen, Rudd, Clifton and Kalihi; one person was confirmed dead in Plainwell on Saturday evening and others were displaced.

Officials this weekend reported injuries, property loss and active investigations; the Moore County wildfire was about 15 acres and 10 percent contained as of 3:30 p.m., Fort Bragg units assisted at Camp Mackall, and the American Red Cross was notified to help eight displaced Kalihi residents.

Washington DC: The US Central Command released footage on Saturday of airstrikes against Iranian naval vessels in regional waters, saying such threats to global shipping are over; separately Iran's state media and IRGC claimed they struck two alleged US 'hideouts' in Dubai and inflicted heavy casualties.

CENTCOM issued a public denial on Saturday saying no US personnel were attacked in Dubai and posted footage to support its account; Vice President JD Vance said this week the US had achieved the 'gross majority' of objectives and would continue operations briefly to neutralise Tehran's nuclear threat.

Miami — On 27 March 2026 at the FII Priority investment forum, US President Donald Trump declared 'Cuba is next,' repeating the phrase as he defended recent American military actions and dismissed concerns that those operations would erode support from his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

The remark followed a de facto US oil blockade imposed in January and references to a January raid in Venezuela; Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel this week warned of 'unbreakable resistance,' while officials from both sides reportedly continue talks to prevent escalation and assess diplomatic and security options.