JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 934

LOS ANGELES, The 98th Academy Awards will take place Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre, hosted by Conan O'Brien. Warner Bros. films Sinners and One Battle After Another lead the nominations; Sinners received a record sixteen nominations while One Battle After Another is favored in categories. The telecast will air on ABC and stream on Hulu, with presenters including Priyanka Chopra, Robert Downey Jr., Nicole Kidman. The Academy added an award recognizing casting directors. Organizers announced heightened security after U.S. military action in Iran. Reporting noted Warner Bros. merger discussions. Based on 7 articles reviewed and supporting research.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 127-125 in overtime on Saturday after Austin Reaves intentionally missed a free throw, chased his own rebound and scored with 1.9 seconds remaining to tie the game. Luka Doncic then hit the overtime winner with under a second remaining, completing a comeback that gave the Lakers their fifth consecutive victory and moved them higher in the Western Conference standings; Nikola Jokic and Doncic each recorded triple-doubles in the game. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

MIAMI — Venezuela defeated Japan 8-5 in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal on Saturday, eliminating the defending champions and advancing to the semifinals. Wilyer Abreu hit a three‑run homer in the top of the sixth that gave Venezuela the lead; Maikel García and Ezequiel Tovar also produced key rallies. Shohei Ohtani and Shota Morishita homered for Japan, and starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed two runs over four innings. Venezuela will face Italy in the semifinal on Monday; the United States and the Dominican Republic meet in the other bracket. The game drew a sellout. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

PITTSBURGH — VCU defeated Dayton 70-62 on Sunday to win the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament and secure an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Nyk Lewis led the Rams with 17 points and 11 rebounds; Terrence Hill Jr. added 14 points off the bench while Michael Belle contributed 12. VCU built a 40-25 halftime lead and maintained control despite Dayton runs in the second half. The win gave VCU a 27-7 record and its second consecutive A-10 title; Dayton finished 23-11. The teams had met twice this season, with VCU winning the matchup. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Washington, President Donald Trump said on Saturday he will not accept a ceasefire with Iran because the proposed terms were 'not good enough' and insisted any agreement must include commitment to abandon nuclear ambitions. In a 30-minute NBC interview, he declined to specify conditions but called for international help to secure the Strait of Hormuz as oil markets reacted to attacks that began Feb. 28. Trump also questioned the health of Iran's new supreme leader. His comments followed two weeks of US and Israeli strikes and reciprocal Iranian attacks across the region. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Buffalo, N.Y. Jack Quinn scored the tying goal and converted in a shootout, and Alex Tuch secured the tiebreaking attempt as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Saturday night. Buffalo rebounded from a 2-1 loss to Washington that ended an eight-game winning streak and extended its Atlantic Division lead over Tampa Bay to four points while remaining two points behind Carolina in the Eastern Conference. Toronto played its first game since captain Auston Matthews suffered a season-ending knee injury; Radko Gudas received a five-game suspension for the hit. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

United States — A powerful cold front will sweep across multiple regions this weekend, bringing severe thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts, possible tornadoes and a rapid temperature drop. Meteorologists issued wind advisories and First Alert/Weather Warn days for Sunday into Monday, forecasting gusts up to 70 mph, narrow lines of storms overnight, and transition to rain-snow with localized accumulations up to 1–4 inches in parts of the Midwest. Forecasts project temperatures falling into the teens with wind chills in single digits by Tuesday. Public safety officials urged preparedness for warnings and sheltering during storms. Based on 7 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Cleveland — Multiple U.S. regions experienced strong winds, gusts, and storm systems Sunday into Monday, prompting weather alerts and high-wind warnings. Utilities cut power for safety, local authorities issued warnings, and meteorologists forecast Arctic air bringing snow to parts of Northeast Ohio and the Front Range. Forecasters reported gusts from 40 to 80 mph, isolated accumulations in mountains, and severe-thunderstorm risks in East Tennessee. Emergency crews advised residents to avoid downed lines and prepare for outages and travel impacts. Events spanned Denver, the Boulder area, Knoxville, Northeast Ohio, and Florida's Space Coast. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Arizona beat Houston 79-74 Saturday to win the Big 12 Tournament final and secure the conference championship. Brayden Burries scored 21 points and made two clinching free throws with 8.3 seconds remaining, while Koa Peat added 21 and Jaden Bradley contributed 13. Arizona finished the season 32-2 and extends its winning streak to nine, and Houston fell to 28-6. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark presented the trophy to coach Tommy Lloyd. The Wildcats head to the NCAA Tournament as a projected No. 1 seed. All details confirmed and verified. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Columbus, Ohio — U.S. military confirmed that a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on March 12, 2026, after an unspecified incident involving another aircraft in friendly airspace. U.S. Central Command and the Department of Defense identified six crewmembers killed, including Capt. Seth Koval, Capt. Curtis Angst and Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons of the Ohio Air National Guard. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered flags lowered until the airmen's funerals. Local communities and families held memorials and public statements this week as officials released service biographies and condolences. Officials and families shared memories. Based on 8 articles reviewed and supporting research.