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Traffic not so ‘cheery’ as cherry blossom visitors get stuck for hours

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's traffic reporter Steve Dresner recommends other options for seeing the cherry blossoms $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); As thousands of visitors descended on the District this weekend to see the world-famous cherry blossoms in peak bloom, some drivers went from admiring the pink and white blossoms to seeing red.Drivers trying to make their way around Southwest D.C., the Tidal Basin, the Wharf, Hains...

Florida Atlantic beats K-State, makes Final Four as 9 seed

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Alijah Martin, Vladislav Goldin and ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic became the first and lowest-seeded team to reach this year’s Final Four as the Owls withstood another huge game by Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell to beat the Wildcats 79-76 on Saturday night.FAU (35-3), making just its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament, won the East Region at Madison Square Garden and will head to Houston to play the winner of Sunday’s South Region final between Creighton and San Diego State.The Owls from Conference USA were the winningest team in Division I this season but had never won an NCAA Tournament game before ripping off four straight, all by single digits, to become the first No. 9 seed to reach the Final Four since Wichita State in 2013.Martin scored 17 points, including a huge 3 down the stretch, the 7-foot-1 Goldin had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Michael Forrest made four clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds for the Owls.Nowell, the 5-foot-8 native New York...

Honduras forms diplomatic ties with China after Taiwan break

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Honduras formed diplomatic ties with China on Sunday after breaking off relations with Taiwan, which is now recognized by only 13 sovereign states, including Vatican City.The announcement reported by Chinese state media CCTV came after the Honduran and Taiwanese governments made separate announcements that they were severing ties.“The government of the Republic of Honduras recognizes the existence of only one China in the world and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China,” Honduras’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter. It added that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and as of today, the Honduran government has informed Taiwan of the severance of diplomatic relations, pledging not to have any official relationship or contact with Taiwan.”Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said Sunday that Taiwan had ended its relations with Honduras to “safeguard its...

Bassi’s PK goal lifts Dynamo to 1-0 victory over NYCFC

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Amine Bassi scored on a penalty kick for the second straight week to lead the Houston Dynamo to a 1-0 victory over New York City FC on Saturday night.Bassi was awarded the kick after a video review in the 55th minute. Bassi scored from the same spot in a 2-0 home win over Austin for the Dynamo’s first victory of the season. Houston (2-2-0) had gone 85 matches since posting back-to-back victories.NYCFC (2-2-1) was coming off two straight wins at home to match the second-best start in club history. NYCFC had 10 points through four matches in 2018.It was the first meeting between the teams since a 3-2 home win by NYCFC in 2019. Houston improved to 2-2-2 in the series.Houston had a 9-5 advantage in shots and a 2-1 edge in shots on goal.The Dynamo’s Steve Clark and NYCFC’s Luis Barraza both finished with one save.Houston travels to play the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday. NYCFC stays on the road to play the New England Revolution on Saturday.____AP socc...

Nuggets beat Bucks 129-106 in clash of conference leaders

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 11 assists, Jamal Murray finished with 26 points and nine assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-106 on Saturday night in a late-season showdown of the NBA’s conference leaders.Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 points for West-leading Denver (50-24), which outscored East-leading Milwaukee 68-40 in the second half.Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points — just seven in the second half — and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bucks (53-20).The battle of the top teams in each conference — and two strong MVP candidates — was more competitive than the teams’ first meeting, won by the Bucks 107-99. Then, the Nuggets held out four starters — Jokic, Murray, Porter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — in the game in Milwaukee on Jan. 25. Denver had played the night before in New Orleans and opted to rest its stars.Antetokounmpo scored 24 points on 11-for-14 shooting in the first half, with all b...

Malkin’s late goal lifts Penguins past Ovechkin, Caps 4-3

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin remains a live wire. Even now, 17 seasons into a career that is likely destined for the Hall of Fame, there’s an unpredictability the Pittsburgh Penguins star plays with that can be both endearing and exasperating to teammates and coaches alike. The latest proof came against Washington on Saturday.An untimely roughing penalty in the third period helped spark a Capitals’ rally from a three-goal deficit. Malkin made up for it by burying a breakaway with 1:20 left in regulation that lifted the Penguins to a 4-3 victory.“His care factor and his compete level for me is off the charts and that’s what I love about him and usually when the stakes are high that’s when he’s at his best,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “He gets a huge goal for us tonight at a key time.”Malkin’s 25th goal of the season — a low wrist shot to the far post — helped the Penguins avoid a potentially messy collapse. Pittsburgh appeared to be ready to cruis...

UConn routs Gonzaga 82-54 for first Final Four in 9 years

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points and UConn overwhelmed its fourth straight NCAA Tournament opponent, earning its first trip to the Final Four in nine years with an 82-54 blowout of Gonzaga on Saturday night.The Huskies (29-8) have felt right at home in their first extended March Madness run since winning the 2014 national championship, playing their best basketball of what had been an up-and-down season.“The Big East Conference is the best conference in the country, so we went through some struggles,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “But once we got out of that league and started playing nonconference teams again, we’ve been back to that team that looked like the best team in the country.”UConn controlled the usually efficient Bulldogs at both ends in the West Region final, building a 23-point lead early in the second half to waltz right into the final section of the bracket.The Huskies’ two NCAA Tournament first-round exits under Hurley are now well in the rearvi...

Cabral scores late, Rapids draw with Austin 1-1

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Kévin Cabral scored in the 85th minute to help the Colorado Rapids earn a 1-1 draw with Austin FC on Saturday night.Cabral’s goal was just the second this season for the Rapids (0-3-2), who went 319 minutes without a goal until Cole Bassett scored last week. It was the sixth longest wait in league history and the longest since Colorado went 362 minutes before scoring in 2015.The Rapids, who equaled the worst start in club history, ended a two-match skid and still haven’t lost three straight under Robin Fraser. Colorado lost eight straight matches in 2019 before Fraser’s arrival.Jon Gallagher scored five minutes into the match to give Austin (2-2-1) the lead. The home side has won just once in six all-time meetings — a 3-0 win by the Rapids in 2021. Austin has just six wins in its last 17 home matches, including the playoffs.Sebastián Driussi and Jhojan Valencia had assists on Gallagher’s goal. Driussi, who didn’t have a hand in Aust...

Cómo fue que las arañas saltarinas se convirtieron en las nuevas mascotas de moda

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

(CNN) — Muchos amantes de las arañas profesan una fascinación de por vida con todos los insectos. Sin embargo, la afinidad de Heather Bruen por las arañas nació de la necesidad.Al principio no podía soportarlas: su espeluznante forma de caminar en ocho patas, esa mirada inquietante y su cuerpo peludo y chillón. Pero al vivir en Florida, donde la majestuosa araña saltarina es nativa y abundante, no tuvo más remedio que tolerar su presencia.La tolerancia se convirtió en aceptación, y “hacerse amiga accidentalmente” de una de esas maravillas arañas minúsculas y con los ojos muy abiertos ablandó su corazón. Y cuando comenzó a compartir clips de sus nuevos amores en TikTok, descubrió que los espectadores sin pretensiones también estaban ansiosos por enamorarse de ellas.“Tal vez sea porque son estas diminutas criaturas sensibles que existen en este enorme mundo que nos rodea, y ni siquiera nos tomamos el tiempo para notarlas o lo inteligentes que son”, dijo a CNN. “Pero ...

Devils defeat Senators 5-3, clinch playoff berth

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist, Mackenzie Blackwood had 25 saves and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-3 and clinched a playoff berth on Saturday night.“It means everything to the group. I went into the dressing room after the game and just said that I was proud of the work that was put in, proud of where we got to clinch tonight to be one of three teams that have an X next to their name,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “All the work that’s been put in, the adversity they face during the year. The adversity they face right at the start of the season to where we’ve got to now.”New Jersey could have clinched its first postseason berth since 2018 with a win, but it happened before their first intermission when the Florida Panthers lost to the New York Rangers in regulation.“I had a lesser role then,” said Jesper Bratt, who was a rookie for the Devils in 2017-18. “I would say at a younger age, it’s kind of like you think that just because it h...