Already crowded. The Alabama bench was at its feet. Nick Pringle couldn’t hold back when a white jersey found open space behind the arc and swished a 3-pointer, a common occurrence on Sunday afternoons. The Tide freshman fell to the ground and woke up in a daze like even he couldn’t believe the Alabama crater was there.

The Tide avenged last week’s loss to Texas A&M, beating the two-seed Aggies 82-63. A potential storybook season, at least on the court, added another celebratory chapter in Nashville. Alabama won its 17th overall SEC championship, and eighth through the tournament.

The Tide is looking to capture the SEC’s glass trophy alone this March. At 5 p.m., the Tide will be announced as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will receive a home crowd similar to Sunday’s at Bridgestone Arena. Alabama is expected to be in the South Regional playing its first two games in Birmingham.

Coach Nate Oates said before the contest that a six-day break before the postseason would give Alabama a chance to reset after struggling through four straight games. Fix random shooting events. Clean up turnovers. And it worked. The Wave’s current form should make it the favorite, if not the team to beat in March Madness.

But to get there, Alabama will have to prove its team shooting and depth in three games in three days. The SEC Finals started with a 3-pointer by Mark Sears. He celebrated breaking out of his shooting slump by spinning and flexing toward the Tide bench. As it did against Missouri, Alabama started hot from range, hitting four of five from deep and hitting seven of its first 15 shots.

A&M took some shots early, but in the end, the Tide’s defense disrupted shots on the perimeter with length, challenged rebounds and forced sloppy passes. Noah Gurley nailed a layup attempt off the backboard and Charles Bediago met an A&M senior at the rim for another block. Because of Bediako’s effort (12 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks), Alabama wrestled possession and A&M couldn’t string together good possessions.

The Aggies started 5-for-25 and had a field goal in the final 11 minutes of the first half.

Brandon Miller picked up two fouls in eight minutes, but the trio of Sears, Rylan Griffen and Jahvon Quinerly (22 total points) improved Miller’s production while sitting on the bench. The triple drive strategy, a staple of Oates’ gameplan, drew the maroon jerseys, allowing the Tide to come up the curve. By the time Miller picked up his third foul of the half, A&M trailed by 11.

Agis came out of the locker room watching the paint go in. A&M’s Julius Marble converted a hook shot on its first possession, but the Tide limited its second-chance points in the comeback battle.

A&M flashed a 3-2 zone, a Quinerly turnover and a dunk by Marble to cut the lead into a deficit. But as the A&M fans started to get involved, Miller knocked down a pass for a steal and cashed in on the ensuing 3-pointer. With the lead down to eight minutes later, Miller grabbed two offensive rebounds on a trip to the floor, eventually getting fouled and converting his free throws.

Oates called for Alabama fans to run from Tuscaloosa. At least with the noise levels during the tight runs, his wish was granted. Supporters gave Alabama several standing ovations, including after A&M coach Buzz Williams pushed Alabama back into the lead following another Miller deep punt after a timeout.

The game turned out to be a blowout, a chance for the starters to serenade the cheering crowd and the walk-ons to see the field.

All season long, the Tide stormed through SEC play. Sunday marked Alabama’s 19th win against an SEC opponent. The Tide’s largest second-half deficit this week was four points.

One of the best teams in SEC history could back its case with two pieces of hardware, and for the fifth straight time, Alabama took home the regular season and conference titles.

This post will be updated.

(CNN) Former Vice President Mike Pence made his most blistering comments about former President Donald Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol during remarks Saturday evening at the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, DC.

Pence began his remarks at a dinner that traditionally featured politicians making jokes about Washington celebrities, including Trump, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, several Republicans expected to run for president in 2024. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.

He later took a more serious tone, referring to the attack on the Capitol as “something I don’t joke about” and calling January 6 “a sad day.”

Pence condemned Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021 attack, saying he was “wrong” to say that Pence had the power to overturn the 2020 election results in his role presiding over Congress, adding that “history holds Donald Trump accountable.”

“President Trump made a mistake. I have no right to change the election, his reckless words endangered my family and everyone in the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable,” Pence said.

Pence also chided those who belittled those who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 as tourists.

“Tourists are not going to hurt 140 police officers by walking around,” Pence said. “Tourists don’t break down doors to get to the Speaker of the House or raise their voices against public officials.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

(CNN) Three American women who crossed the US border from Texas two weeks ago to sell clothes at a flea market are believed to be missing in Mexico, police told CNN on Saturday.

Marina Perez Rios, 48, her sister Martiza Trinidad Perez Rios, 47, and their friend Dora Alicia Cervantes Saenz, 53, crossed into Mexico on February 24, Peñitas, Texas police chief Roel Bermea told CNN on Saturday.

Permea said the group traveled to the city of Montemorelos in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon to sell clothes at a flea market. The flea market is about a 3-hour drive south of the US border.

The three girls went missing a week ago Four Americans were kidnapped March 3 in the Mexican border town of Matamoros, which is about 300 miles east of Montemorelos.

Two Americans, Shayed Woodard and Jindel Brown, were killed and their bodies were handed over to US diplomatic officials on Thursday, a Mexican official said. The two survivors — Latavia Washington McGee and Eric Williams — returned to the U.S. on Tuesday for hospital treatment.

Six people in total have been arrested Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica said Friday in connection with the March 3 kidnapping, including Tuesday’s violence.

A A letter of apology was issued On Thursday, the Gulf Cartel is believed to be responsible for the kidnappings, and the group handed over five of its members to local authorities, according to images circulating online and a version of a letter obtained by CNN from an ongoing official. Investigation.

US officials are offering help

Marina’s husband called the girls all weekend. When she didn’t hear from them on Monday, she turned to investigators for help, according to authorities.

The department confirmed the women crossed the border at the Anzaldúas Port of Entry on February 24 in a 1995 Chevy Silverado, the chief said.

Once the crossing was confirmed, the FBI was notified, Permia said.

CNN reached out to the FBI for comment, but did not hear back.

It is unclear whether Mexican authorities are investigating the matter.

A State Department spokesperson told CNN, “The Department is aware of reports of three missing U.S. citizens in Mexico.”

“The State Department has no higher priority than the welfare and safety of American citizens abroad. We stand ready to provide appropriate assistance to American citizens and their families in need,” the spokesperson said.

“When a U.S. citizen goes missing, we work closely with local authorities as they conduct search efforts and share information with the family as much as we can,” the spokesperson said.

The Chief Minister urged the public to call local authorities with any information leading to the whereabouts of the women.

Bitcoin (BTC) refused to let the $20,000 support on March 11 drop in favor as the weekend opened to a battle for lost ground.

Bitcoin shakes USDC depeg

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and Trade show BTC/USD showed around $20,200 at the time of writing.

A brief dip below $20,000 overnight was short-lived, and sentiment appeared more stable as initial panic over the stability of the United States Bank subsided.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVP), which dealt a fresh blow to some crypto firms following Silvergate, continued to play out.

At the center of the debacle was payment technology company Circle, which overnight disclosed part of its stablecoin USD Coin (USDC) reserve fund with SVB.

USDC immediately began to slide from its US dollar peg and was only redeemable at $0.91 at the time of writing, while at one point Bitcoin made over $26,000 in USDC value on major exchange Kraken.

“If the USDC has only 90% support, the equilibrium price is not $0.90. The equilibrium price is ZERO”, Corey Clipston, Swan Bitcoin CEO, reacted.

“Everyone has an incentive to redeem for $1 as soon as possible. You don’t want to be in the last 10% when all the money is already gone.”

Others believed that the situation was manageable and that USDC, the second largest stablecoin by market cap, would not fail outright.

A TweetThe circle said it has five other bank partners to manage its USDC cash balances.

Financial ratios reflect FTX sentiment

Beyond the USDC, nerves were predictably high among traders.

Related: Circle’s USDC Instability Has Domino Effect on DAI, USDD Stablecoins

Average Financial ratios They were the most negative since FTX in November 2022, indicating a strong belief that further losses could still be in store for Bitcoin.

Analyzing the implications, however, commentator TedalxMacro argued that a higher level of bearish bias could fuel higher “short pressure” in BTC/USD.

“The market is still very short here. That could fuel a short-term test of at least 21.4k for BTC,” read part of a tweet. According to.

Tedtalksmacro added that a contraction is already “well underway” based on Bitcoin’s bounce back from a multi-week low below the $20,000 mark.

Other popular market participants favored a pullback in the short term.

“In today’s madness, Bitcoin is doing well. I expect another drop to the $19,200 interim support zone,” Crypto Tony said followers.

The views, opinions and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

BEIJING, March 10 (Reuters) – Xi Jinping pledged to run for a third term as China’s president during a parliamentary session on Friday in which he tightened his grip on the world’s second-largest economy as it emerges from the COVID fallout and diplomatic challenges. load.

Nearly 3,000 members of China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC), voted unanimously for the 69-year-old Xi in the Great Hall of the People, with no other candidate.

Xi has steered China down a more authoritarian path since taking control a decade ago, and he is extending his term for another five years, amid increasingly hostile relations with the United States and its allies over Taiwan, Russia, and Beijing’s support for trade and human rights.

Domestically, China faces a challenging recovery from three years of Xi’s zero-covid policy, weak confidence among consumers and businesses, and weak demand for China’s exports.

The economy grew just 3% last year, its worst performance in decades. The government has set a growth target of just 5% this year during the parliamentary session.

“In his third term, Xi should focus on economic revival,” said Willie Lam, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a US think tank.

“But if he continues to do what he’s been doing — tight party and state control over the private sector and confrontation with the West, his chances of success are not encouraging.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to congratulate Xi on his third term. The two sealed a “no limits” partnership between China and Russia in February last year, days before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

Xi set the stage for another term in 2018 when he abolished presidential term limits and became China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, who founded the People’s Republic.

While the presidency is largely ceremonial, Xi’s key tenure was extended last October, when he was reconfirmed as general secretary of the Communist Party’s Central Committee for another five years.

In Washington, US President Joe Biden focused on managing the strategic rivalry with China, White House spokesman John Kirby said. “Mr Xi’s third term is certainly not a surprise to anyone here. It was very much expected,” Kirby said.

A new leadership slate

During Friday’s vote, Xi held talks with Premier-in-waiting Li Qiang, who will be confirmed on Saturday for China’s second-highest post, a former Shanghai party chief and Xi ally in charge of the economy.

Other Xi-approved officials, including deputy prime ministers, a central bank governor and several ministers and department heads, will be elected or appointed to government posts later this week.

The first annual parliamentary session since China’s three-year lifting of Covid restrictions ends on Monday, when Xi will deliver a speech, followed by Li’s media question-and-answer session.

During Friday’s session, Xi and dozens of other top leaders on stage did not wear masks, but everyone in the auditorium did.

China ended its zero-covid policy in December after highly unusual nationwide protests against restrictions that have crippled daily life and the economy.

The virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has spread rapidly, affecting most of its 1.4 billion people, but officials have not released the full number of related deaths.

Parliament on Friday also elected Zhao Lezhi (66) as Speaker and Han Zheng (68) as Vice Speaker. Both were members of Xi’s previous group of party leaders in the Politburo Standing Committee.

Reporting by Yu Lun Tian, ​​additional reporting by Doina Xiaku in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feist, Tony Munro, Robert Birzel and Raisa Kasolowski

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Tollu-Mullu turned out to be a tumultuous day. Shares opened with small gains before collapsing. By midday, the S&P 500 was down about 0.7 percent.

Despite the volatility in the stock market, the root cause remained the same: Wall Street’s overarching concern was about how much higher interest rates could go and what that would mean for the economy. While the stress on bank stocks reflected the pain so far from those rate hikes, the jobs data signaled the pace of future interest rates.

“The economic story is consistent. Rising interest rates slow the economy, and that hurts the U.S. economy,” said Lauren Goodwin, an economist at New York Life Investments. “If interest rates continue to rise, what’s happening to the banking sector is indicative of what investors fear will happen to other parts of the economy.”

Ahead of choppy trading on Friday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome H. The outlook turned darker this week after Powell told lawmakers. Higher interest rates weigh on stock prices, and central bank actions could push the economy into recession.

Friday’s jobs report for February eased those concerns somewhat. Investors focused on slower wage growth and rising unemployment, in part because more people are returning to the labor force, two data points that suggest the central bank’s efforts to slow the economy and rein in inflation may be working.

Some analysts said the numbers would ease pressure when the central bank meets later this month, and bets in financial markets are leaning toward a small quarter-point rate increase, as opposed to the half-percentage-point hike that was favored earlier this week.

“I think most people would agree it’s not going to happen,” Christina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco, said of the possibility of a big rate hike in March.

However, others are less confident that the latest data on the jobs market will be in the hands of the central bank. Ron Temple, Lazard’s chief market strategist, said below the headline numbers that signs of wages continuing to rise and strong hiring remain a concern for parts of the labor force. The U.S. added 300,000 new jobs in February, nearly 100,000 more than economists had forecast.

“It’s still a hot streak in job creation,” Mr Coville said.

Investor views point to the potentially decisive influence of next week’s reading on consumer price inflation for deciding what the central bank might do when it meets later this month.

Concerns about the state of the financial system are being added to the Fed’s deliberations as investors and depositors rush to pull their money out of Silicon Valley Bank, a major bank for start-ups.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based SVB said on Wednesday it needed to take immediate steps to raise its funding amid a gloomy environment for start-ups and other technology companies. The report triggered a slide in bank stocks that spread across the banking sector in general and led to whipsaw movements in government bond markets.

On Friday morning, Silicon Valley Bank was closed Under the control of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index fell another 2 percent, while shares of other smaller banks fell sharply. First Republic Bank in San Francisco and Signature Bank in New York each fell more than 20 percent. Trading was more steady on Friday at major banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which fell on Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday and said she was monitoring the situation involving the Silicon Valley bank. “I mean, you mention Silicon Valley Bank, there are recent developments about some of the banks that I’ve been following very closely. When banks face financial losses, it should be a matter of concern.

Alan Rapport Contributed report.

In this case, that second offense may be a violation of New York State Election Law. Although hush money is not inherently illegal, the $130,000 money Mr. Prosecutors could argue that the money became an improper donation to Trump’s campaign because the money silenced Ms. Daniels and benefited her candidacy.

Linking a criminal charge to a state election law violation would be a novel legal principle for any criminal case, let alone a case against a former president, that a judge or appeals court could throw out or reduce the criminal charge. Misbehavior.

Mr. This isn’t the first Manhattan grand jury to hear evidence about Trump. Before leaving office at the end of 2021, Mr. Prague’s predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr. instructed prosecutors to begin presenting evidence to an earlier grand jury. That potential lawsuit focused on the former president’s business practices, in particular how he fraudulently inflated his net worth by billions of dollars in order to get favorable terms on loans and other benefits.

But Mr. Bragg, upon taking office last year, became concerned about the strength of the case and halted the presentation, prompting the resignation of two senior prosecutors who led the investigation.

However, Mr. Part of the investigation into Trump’s net worth is ongoing, people familiar with the matter said.

Defendants rarely choose to testify before a grand jury, and Mr Trump is unlikely to do so. As a potential defendant, he must waive immunity, meaning his testimony can be used against him if he is charged. Although he could have a lawyer to advise him, the lawyer would be prohibited from speaking to jurors, and there would be some limits on the questions lawyers could ask the former president.

In recent years, Mr. Trump has been wary of answering questions under oath, given the legal intrigue swirling around him. When the New York attorney general fired him in a civil suit last year, Mr. Trump refused to provide any information, exercising his Fifth Amendment right to refuse to answer questions 400 times in four hours. If he testifies to this grand jury about the hush money, he won’t have that option.

Maggie Haberman And Sean Piccoli Contributed report.

(CNN) Jenna Ellis He was censured by a disciplinary judge in Colorado on Wednesday, in the latest effort to hold lawyers accountable Raised Former President Donald Trump’s 2020 Election Reverse Gambling

According to documents released by Colorado’s Office of Attorney Disciplinary Counsel, Ellis signed a stipulation that several comments he made about the 2020 election violated rules of professional ethics that prohibit reckless, knowing or intentional misrepresentations by attorneys. As part of the stipulation, Ellis agrees to pay $224.

Among the false statements highlighted in the stipulation were Ellis’s comments on social media and television appearances claiming evidence that the Trump campaign had “stolen” the election.

“The public scrutiny of this issue reinforces that even when engaging in political speech, a tax attorney cannot interfere, especially when they are speaking in a representative capacity,” said Jessica Yates, attorney regulation counsel for the Colorado Supreme Court. Report.

Ellis’ attorney, Michael Melito, said in a statement to CNN, “My client is a practicing attorney in good standing in the state of Colorado. In a very heated political environment, we have reached the right decision.”

Censorship was first reported Colorado Newsline.

The stipulation was upheld by Chief Justice Brian M. Large acknowledged Wednesday.

The Office of Attorney Disciplinary Counsel previously indicated it would prepare an indictment against Ellis, but along with the audit notice, the office said in a statement that it “is not currently pursuing any other charges against Ms. Ellis.”