JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 939

Chicago, Purdue advanced through the Big Ten Tournament this week, defeating Northwestern 81-68 in the third round and Nebraska 74-58 in the quarterfinals to reach a semifinal matchup with UCLA on Saturday. Senior guard Braden Smith recorded 16 assists to move into second on the NCAA career list with 1,045 assists. Fletcher Loyer and big men Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn provided interior scoring and rebounding. Northwestern's Arrinten Page missed tournament action due to illness. Game times and television coverage were announced by conference broadcasters. Official box scores accompanied all game reports. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

United States — Companies reported mixed fiscal results this week as several U.S. firms released quarterly earnings and guidance. Vera Bradley posted a $2.7 million fourth-quarter profit but an annual loss of $47.8 million. Dick’s Sporting Goods beat revenue and adjusted earnings estimates and provided full-year guidance. SentinelOne exceeded Street estimates on adjusted EPS and revenue while reporting quarterly and annual losses alongside growth guidance. Lennar missed analyst revenue and earnings estimates. J.W. Mays posted a quarterly loss. Companies cited standard accounting adjustments; firms also issued near-term revenue and profit guidance. Based on 7 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Nashville. Forecasters reported Thursday that a fast-moving cold front pushed across multiple states, producing heavy rain, isolated severe thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts, and a rapid temperature drop affecting the Midwest, Southeast and Gulf Coast regions. Wind advisories and First Alert warnings were issued for central Indiana, the Carolinas, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida; mountain areas saw brief snow at higher elevations. Travel disruptions and hazardous morning commutes were reported where storms and high winds were most intense. Temperatures will remain volatile into next week with a notable cold snap expected early next week. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

INGLEWOOD, Calif., The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 153-128 on Wednesday, with Kawhi Leonard scoring 45 points as the Clippers moved above .500, improving to 33-32. Los Angeles shot 15-of-20 from Leonard, connected on 19-of-37 three-pointers collectively, and Bennedict Mathurin and Darius Garland added 22 and 21 points respectively. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards scored 36 but the Timberwolves lost their third straight game, dropping to sixth in the Western Conference. The Clippers posted a season-high scoring output and are 6–1 in their last seven games. Officials and staff provided postgame comments. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points to break Wilt Chamberlain’s record with 127 consecutive games of 20-plus points as the Thunder beat the Boston Celtics 104-102 Thursday. In Denver, Nikola Jokic recorded 31 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists and Jamal Murray added 39 to lift the Nuggets past the Spurs 136-131. Phoenix’s Devin Booker scored 43 and Jalen Green added 36 in a Suns victory over Indiana. In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the TSSAA girls state tournament opened March 11-13 with top performers highlighted. Los Angeles prepares to host Denver following wins. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Houston — The United States advanced to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals after Italy defeated Mexico 9-1 Wednesday, securing the top spot in Group B and allowing the Americans to advance as the group’s runner-up. Italy’s Vinnie Pasquantino hit three home runs, the tournament’s first such performance, and Italy finished 4-0. The U.S. went 3-1, having lost to Italy 8-6 the previous night. Mexico’s 2-2 record eliminated it from the WBC and Olympic qualifying. No further schedule changes occurred. The Americans will remain in Houston to face Canada in a Friday quarterfinal. Based on 7 articles reviewed and supporting research.

United States — Airports nationwide experienced extended security lines this week as a partial government shutdown halted full pay for many TSA employees. Agencies reported increased callouts and more than 300 TSA agents resigned, prompting temporary checkpoint closures and rerouting of personnel at airports including Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, Houston and New Orleans. Hartsfield-Jackson and Austin reported hour-plus waits; Philadelphia closed Terminal C security briefly while keeping PreCheck lanes open. Local airports organized food drives and advised travelers to arrive up to three hours early. Congress remains deadlocked over DHS funding and immigration demands. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Oklahoma defeated South Carolina 86-74 Wednesday in the SEC Tournament's opening round as Nijel Pack scored 24 points to lead the Sooners. Kentucky beat LSU 87-82 earlier, with Otega Oweh scoring 23 and Brandon Garrison adding 17 off the bench. Oklahoma then beat Texas A&M 83-63 Thursday to advance and will play Arkansas in the quarterfinals Friday. Arkansas earned a double-bye into the quarterfinals after a 23-8 regular season. South Carolina finished 13-19. Game statistics and scoring runs were reported by multiple outlets and box scores. Based on 7 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Washington: President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States could disable Iran’s electricity grid within an hour and that authorities were investigating a possible drone attack launched from a boat off California. He said US forces had delivered significant strikes to degrade Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities. Iranian officials, including a joint military spokesperson and the naval chief, vowed continued operations and warned that shipping and oil routes could be targeted, threatening markets. Authorities said they were investigating domestic threats while agencies authorised an oil release to stabilise prices amid the escalation. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Washington — U.S. officials and lawmakers this week responded after preliminary inquiries indicated a U.S. missile strike likely killed over 165 people, mostly children, at a girls' school in Minab, Iran on February 28. More than 40 senators led by Van Hollen, Kaine, Warren and Shaheen sent the Pentagon a letter demanding an immediate, public investigation and disclosure of findings. U.S. military officials attributed the incident to outdated targeting data; video and internal inquiries are cited in reporting. The Pentagon has declined public comment while investigations continue. Humanitarian organizations also requested fuller accountability. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.