A first-time winner of the Concacaf Nations League will be crowned on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, where Mexico and Panama will face off in the final of the competition as both target a statement-making win with the 2026 World Cup in North America on the horizon. Mexico, one of the co-hosts of next summer’s competition, enter their third CNL final as the overwhelming favorites, while Panama will compete in the final of this tournament for the first time.
Mexico booked a spot in the final after a 2-0 win over Canada, who came up with an energetic performance but were less clinical than El Tri. Raul Jimenez stole the show with a brace, giving Mexico the lead in the opening minute before supplementing it with a second half goal. He, alongside the in-form AC Milan goalscorer Santiago Gimenez, will be counted on to help Mexico win their first trophy since the 2023 Gold Cup when they were missing a handful of their top-tier players. A win for Mexico in Sunday’s game will come with a major vote of confidence for Javier Aguirre, who kicked off his third stint in charge of the team in October and has been tasked with rejuvenating a team that has underwhelmed in recent years after serving as Concacaf’s gold standard.
Panama, meanwhile, will aim to put on a second strong performance of the week after their surprise 1-0 win over the U.S. men’s national team, the only previous winner of the competition. They are undoubtedly the underdogs but their upward trajectory over the last several years means they are not to be underestimated, especially under Thomas Christiansen. This will be their second final in continental competitions under the head coach, who has steadily helped them punch above their weight and now has them one game away from their first major trophy ever.
Tiger Woods has confirmed his relationship with the former daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump, publishing two images to social media in a post that said, “Love is in the air.”
Woods and Vanessa Trump, who was married to Donald Trump Jr., had been seen at Torrey Pines in San Diego along with her daughter, Kai, when Woods arrived for the final round to hand out the trophy to the winner of the Genesis Invitational. He is the tournament host.
Kai Trump goes to the Benjamin School with Woods’ two children, Sam and Charlie. She and Charlie competed on an invitation at a high-profile junior golf tournament this week.
“Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together,” Woods said on X, where he has 6.4 million followers.
He added: “At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.”
One photo shows Woods and Vanessa Trump posing together, another with them lying in a hammock with her arm draped across his chest as he gazes skyward.
Woods and Vanessa Trump had been featured in gossip outlets for the last several weeks. She was married to Donald Trump Jr. for 12 years. They had five children together.
Woods announced March 11 that he ruptured his left Achilles tendon, knocking him out of the Masters and likely for the rest of the year.
It was not clear what prompted Woods, who keeps his personal life fiercely private, to publish photos confirming the relationship. It was reminiscent of 2013, when he and Lindsey Vonn both posted photos of them together to confirm they were dating.
Woods said at the time he and Vonn “wanted to limit the ‘stalkarazzi’ and all those sleazy websites that are out there following us,” saying it could lead to dangerous situations involving his children. He also said their photos would devalue anything the paparazzi had.
Woods has two children from his marriage to Elin Nordegren, who divorced him 2010 after he had been exposed for multiple extramarital affairs.
His only other public relationship was with Erica Herman, which lasted about seven years until he ended it in October 2022. It was a messy split, and Herman eventually dismissed lawsuits against Woods and the trust that owns his south Florida estate, where she had been living.
Miller Gardner, the teenage son of New York Yankees player Brett Gardner, has died. He was 14.
Brett, 41, and his wife, Jessica Gardner, shared a statement on X on Sunday, March 23, announcing that their son died unexpectedly amid a getaway with loved ones.
“With heavy hearts, we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller. He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation,” the couple began.
“We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st,” they continued.
The pair then described Miller as “a beloved son and brother,” adding, “We cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile.”
“He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day,” Brett and Jessica continued.
The couple — who wed in 2007 and are also parents to another son, Hunter Gardner — next expressed their gratitude to “all who have reached out to offer support and encouragement during this difficult time.”
“We are confident our faith, family, and friends will help us navigate this unimaginable loss. Our prayers go out to Miller’s teammates and friends, as well as to all other families who have lost a child far too soon as we share their grief,” they concluded. “Please respect our wishes for privacy as we mourn and search for healing.”
The couple did not detail where they were on vacation at the time of the incident, or the cause of death for their son.
Gardner is an outfielder who spent the entirety of his 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Yankees. His playing career ended after the 2021 season, though he didn’t officially announce his retirement.
Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson stunned Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson 5-4 in the heavyweight final Saturday night at the NCAA men’s wrestling championships with President Donald Trump in attendance.
Hendrickson, a transfer from Air Force, trailed in the last match of the evening until scoring on a takedown in the final minute — the only takedown Steveson allowed all season.
Hendrickson saluted Trump after his victory. With a United States flag draped over his shoulders, he then walked over and shook Trump’s hand and hugged him as part of his celebration. Trump attended the event, just as he did as a presidential candidate in 2023 when the tournament was in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“It’s bigger than worlds, Olympics, anything,” an emotional Hendrickson said moments after the win.
He became the first Oklahoma State wrestler to win an NCAA title at heavyweight since Steve Mocco did it in 2005.
Minnesota’s Steveson, seeking his third national title, was on a 70-match win streak. The 2021 and 2022 national champion retired at the end of the 2022 event. He tried professional wrestling with WWE and performed mostly in NXT, the company’s developmental brand. After his release, he tried out for the Buffalo Bills last year despite never having played organized football. He did not make the roster. He then returned to Minnesota for this season.
Steveson entered the third period with a 3-2 lead before giving up the takedown with about 20 seconds remaining. The crowd erupted when Hendrickson scored and as time expired.
The two had met once previously, with Steveson winning a second-round match in the 2021 NCAA tournament by technical fall.
Penn State claimed its third four-peat, running away from the field to claim its 12th men’s Division I men’s wrestling national title under coach Cael Sanderson. Only Iowa’s Dan Gable has more (15).
Carter Starocci won an unprecedented fifth national title, defeating Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen 4-3 in the 184-pound final. Keckeisen was the defending champion in the class.
Starocci, whose four previous titles came at 174, kept it all in perspective.
“It means a lot to me, but as for me — I never want to downplay the moment — but I mean, it’s always cool, but one thing that Coach Cael really instills in us, this is all just preparation for the next thing.”
Penn State, just the second program to have 10 All-Americans in one season (Minnesota, 2001), scored 177 points to top its record from last year. The Nittany Lions picked up another championship when Mitchell Mesenbrink won the 165 final 8-2 over Iowa’s Michael Caliendo. Mesenbrink finished unbeaten this season after losing in the national final a year ago.
Nebraska finished second with 117 points and closed out its best tournament ever with Ridge Lovett winning at 149 and Antrell Taylor at 157. Oklahoma State finished third with 102.5 points and Iowa was fourth with 81.
NC State freshman Vincent Robinson defeated Oklahoma State’s Troy Spratley 2-1 at 125, and Illinois’ Lucas Byrd defeated Iowa’s Drake Ayala 3-2 at 133.
At 141, Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez rallied from a 5-0 deficit to beat Nebraska’s Brock Hardy 12-9 and claim his second straight national title. Hardy was the No. 1 seed.
At 149, Lovett toppled the defending champion, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson, 1-0. Lovett became the first Cornhuskers national champion since Jordan Burroughs in 2011.
Nebraska’s Taylor hung on to defeat Purdue’s Joey Blaze 4-2.
Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti defeated Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole 4-1 in overtime to win at 174. O’Toole, the national champ at 165 in 2022 and 2023, challenged a takedown during regulation that was reversed and allowed him to get to overtime. In sudden victory, another takedown was challenged, but this time, it was upheld, and Hamiti celebrated with first-year coach David Taylor.
Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan defeated Penn State’s Josh Barr 5-2 in the 197 final. He has been an All-American at Wyoming, Oklahoma and now Iowa.
An Orthodox Jewish passenger says a United Airlines pilot forcibly removed him from an airplane bathroom while he was experiencing constipation, exposing his genitalia to other flyers during a flight from Tulum, Mexico, to Houston.
Yisroel Liebb, of New Jersey, described his trip through allegedly unfriendly skies in a federal lawsuit this week against the airline and the US Department of Homeland Security, whose officers he said boarded the plane upon landing and took him away in handcuffs.
Liebb and a fellow Orthodox Jewish traveler said they were forced to miss a connecting flight to New York City while US Customs and Border Protection officers paraded them through an airport terminal, placed them in holding cells and searched their luggage.
“CBP Officers responded to reports of a disturbance on a flight at the request of the airline,” said Hilton Beckham, the CBP assistant commissioner for public affairs. “Due to the ongoing litigation, we are unable to provide any further comment.”
United Airlines declined to comment. A message seeking comment was left for a lawyer representing Liebb and the other traveler, Jacob Sebbag.
In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, Liebb said he had been in the bathroom in the back of the plane for about 20 minutes on 28 January when a flight attendant woke Sebbag from a nap and asked Sebbag to check on him.
Liebb said he explained his gastrointestinal predicament and assured Sebbag that he would be out soon. Sebbag then relayed that to the flight attendant, the lawsuit says.
About 10 minutes later, with Liebb still indisposed, the pilot approached Sebbag and asked him to check on Liebb, the lawsuit says. The pilot then yelled at Liebb to leave the bathroom immediately, the lawsuit says.
Liebb said he told the pilot that he was finishing up and would be out momentarily.
The pilot responded by breaking the lock, forcing the bathroom door open and pulling Liebb out with his pants still around his ankles, exposing his genitalia to Sebbag, flight attendants and nearby passengers, according to the lawsuit.
“The pilot became visibly enraged, broke the lock on the door and forced the door to the bathroom open, pulling Liebb out of the bathroom with his pants still around his ankles, exposing his genitalia to Sebbag, several flight attendants, and the nearby passengers on the plane,” the lawsuit said.
It added that Lieb said he felt “sexually violated and embarrassed after having been publicly exposed in the nude”.
“With Sebbag leading Liebb, the pilot proceeded to repeatedly push the [two] back to their seats while making threats of getting [them] arrested and making scathing remarks about their Judaism, and how ‘Jews act’,” the lawsuit continued.
After the two-hour flight landed in Houston, the men said about a half-dozen Customs and Border Protection officers boarded and escorted them off the plane.
Liebb said when he asked why they were being detained, an officer tightened his handcuffs and responded: “This isn’t county or state. We are homeland. You have no rights here.”
The men said United booked them on a flight to New York City the next day for free, but any savings from the complimentary tickets were lost because they had to pay for an overnight hotel stay and food during their delay.
The two men said that the handcuffs caused “severe wrist pain” that “persisted for days afterwards”.
The University of Southern California women’s basketball team is once again a top program in the NCAA, just like they were last season. JuJu Watkins, a rising star in women’s college basketball as a freshman, is in charge of the team. Last year, the Trojans made it to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994, where they lost to Paige Bueckers and UConn.
There is a possibility that the two programs will meet in the exact same location this year. If that matchup happens, the entire college basketball world will be watching. But first, the Trojans and Juju must make it that far. On Saturday,they took a step in the right direction by beating UNC Greensboro 71-25.
The Los Angeles Lakers were fully healthy on Saturday night with Rui Hachimura and, more notably, LeBron James returning to action, but the Chicago Bulls spoiled the party with a 146-115 blowout that dropped the Lakers to the No. 3 to No. 4 seed with 12 games remaining.
The Lakers are tied in the loss column with the Nuggets, and are likely going to win the tiebreaker over Denver (2-2 head to head) by virtue of being a division winner (they are three games up on Golden State with the tiebreaker secured for the Pacific crown).
Hachimura (knee) hadn’t played in almost a month, while James missed six games with a groin strain. The Lakers went 3-3 in those games without LeBron as the defense struggled, and that was the story again on Saturday as Chicago put up points like an All-Star game.
James was rusty in his return, finishing with 17 points on 16 shots with five turnovers. He missed three of his five free throws and was a game-low minus-27 in in 31 minutes.
The good news for the Lakers is Luka Doncic continues to surge toward what feels like it could be a monster postseason for him. Dončić took a while to get settled with the Lakers, but he’s been in full form for a bit and stormed out of the gates for 17 first-quarter points on Saturday. That makes for 38 points over Luka’s last two first quarters after he put 21 on the Nuggets on Wednesday.
Dončić has always been a first-quarter sniper, and he really had it rolling on Saturday when he wound up with 29 points and seven 3-pointers in the first half.
Dončić finished with 34 points against Chicago. He has 31 against Denver and went for 45 against Milwaukee a little more than a week ago. Over his last 10 games, Dončić is averaging 31.1 points while making 43% of his 3-pointers on 11 attempts a night.
It’s not just the numbers. Luka is clearly starting to feel himself in a Lakers uniform. LeBron has pretty much handed the QB1 reigns to Dončić and even though this loss to the Bulls is frustrating, the bigger picture still looks bright with Dončić playing this way heading into the postseason.
A fire broke out near the French Pavilion at Disney World in Florida on Saturday evening, sending billows of black smoke into the sky
The fire at Walt Disney World Resort’s Epcot theme park near Orlando, Florida, started backstage of the France Pavilion. That section at Epcot is located within the park’s World Showcase,
A former federal prosecutor was found dead Saturday morning at a home in Alexandria, Virginia, authorities said.
Officers with the Alexandria Police Department were dispatched to the home at 9:18 a.m. Eastern Time on a report of an unresponsive woman.
They arrived to find 43-year-old Jessica Aber, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, dead at the scene, police reported. It was not immediately clear if the home belonged to Aber, or who had contacted police.
Her cause of death will be determined by the Virginia medical examiner’s office. No further details were provided.
Police said in a statement that “as a matter of protocol, an investigation is underway surrounding the circumstances of her death.”
Then-President Joe Biden nominated Aber to the position in August 2021, and she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
She led the department for approximately three years, resigning in January when President Trump began his second term.
“We are heartbroken beyond words to learn of the passing of our friend and former colleague, U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber,” her successor, Erik Siebert, the current U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement Saturday. “She was unmatched as a leader, mentor, and prosecutor, and she is simply irreplaceable as a human being. We remain in awe of how much she accomplished in her all too brief time in this world.”
In a social media post, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares praised Aber for her work with Ceasefire Virginia, a statewide initiative implemented in 2022 designed to combat violent crime.
“I am saddened to learn of the passing of Jessica Aber, whose career of public service included US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and whose work with Ceasefire Virginia saved more lives than we may ever realize,” Miyares wrote.
Aber worked in private practice before joining the Eastern District of Virginia in 2009, where she held several roles, including assistant U.S. attorney and deputy chief of the department’s criminal division, according to her biography on the Justice Department’s website.
As U.S. attorney, she oversaw a staff of about 300 people in a district that serves approximately six million residents.
A Virginia native, Aber did her undergraduate work at the University of Richmond, and received her law degree from William & Mary Law School in 2006.
Veteran quarterbacks from the two teams in the country’s largest market will receive bargain basement salaries. For the Jets and Justin Fields, the two-year, $40 million deal puts him at the bottom of the list of starters not playing under rookie contracts. For the Giants and Jameis Winston, the base deal is 20 percent of that.
Via multiple reports, it’s two years and $8 million for Winston.
While he can reportedly double it with incentives, the base deal cries out “bridge” quarterback. Additionally, it positions the Giants to select a quarterback as early as pick No. 3 in the draft. If they do, it would most likely be Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. That assumes the Browns won’t take Sanders with the second overall pick.
Regardless of whether it happens in round one or. round two — or if the Giants trade back into the bottom of the first round — it’s looking like they’ll be pairing Winston with a rookie, based on the value of the contract Winston has signed.
And if they don’t, the Giants will have gotten a major bargain with Winston. Then again, it’s basically the same deal he did last year in Cleveland, where he signed a one-year, $4 million deal with up to $4.7 million in incentives.
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