World Baseball Classic: Team USA pours it on late in opening win vs. Brazil

Team USA has a 1-0 record in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. And perhaps some work to do.

Let's just say the Americans walked but did not run against Brazil, which had the deficit at only three runs entering the ninth inning. The U.S. did notch a 15-5 victory, but it was also the kind of performance the Americans can't afford to have against the other WBC powers.

You would expect a lineup featuring the likes of Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber and Cal Raleigh — 169 combined homers in 2025 — to blast off against a Brazilian pitching staff featuring multiple teenagers, but the American offense instead came down to two stats: 17 walks and a 5-for-21 performance with runners in scoring position.

It was actually Brazil that had more homers Friday in Houston, with 20-year-old Lucas Ramirez, the son of Boston Red Sox great Manny Ramirez, clubbing two. Team USA had only one, off the bat of Judge in the first inning. The game sure looked headed to a blowout at that point.

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But the U.S. didn't have a lead of more than two runs until the fifth inning, when they pushed the score to 7-1. Brazil responded with a three-run rally in the seventh inning capped off by a homer from Victor Mascai.

The American avalanche only arrived in the ninth inning, when seven consecutive players reached base to push Team USA's lead to double digits.

It would be hyperbolic to say Team USA looked vulnerable on Friday. We know the group has power, and batted balls are fickle. The Americans struck out only twice in 36 at-bats, and runs become inevitable when that much pressure is on the opposing defense.

Yet it's a good reminder that as talented as this team is, they're playing a sport that can be very cruel to superpowers. Odds are that the next time Team USA posts only three extra-base hits in a game — as they did Friday, with the Judge homer and two doubles from No. 9 hitter Brice Turang — it won't end as well.

Up next for the Americans is a game against Great Britain on Saturday, with Mexico and Italy representing their remaining Group B opponents.

byDonna Devi

in

March 07, 2026

World Baseball Classic: Team USA pours it on late in opening win vs. Brazil

Team USA has a 1-0 record in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. And perhaps some work to do. Let's just say ...

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Stephen Hibbert, 'The Gimp' in “Pulp Fiction”, dies at 68

Stephen Hibbert, the actor best known for playing "The Gimp" inPulp Fiction, has died at the age of 68.

According toTMZ, the writer and performer died in Denver on Monday, following a heart attack. "Our father, Stephen Hibbert, passed away unexpectedly this week," his children, Ronnie, Rosalind, and Greg, said in a statement to the outlet. "His life was full of love and dedication to the arts and his family. He will be dearly missed by many."

Hibbert's death comes just three months after the passing of one of hisPulp Fictionscene partners,Peter Greene.

Born in Fleetwood, England, Hibbert broke into the industry as a writer onLate Night With David Letterman. He'd then go on to serve the same position onBoy Meets WorldandMad TV, and he also helped pen the script forIt's Pat, a film based on the breakoutSaturday Night Livecharacter of his then-wife, Julia Sweeney.

Onscreen, Hibbert appeared in a pair of Mike Myers comedies,Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me andThe Cat in the Hat, and guest starred on the TV seriesJust Shoot MeandRush Hour.

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But Hibbert's most recognized performance was one that never revealed his face. In Quentin Tarantino's 1994 masterpiecePulp Fiction, boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is running from feared crime boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), when he seeks shelter in a pawn shop. But the owner, Maynard (Duane Whitaker), holds the two men at gunpoint and ties them up in his basement, where Maynard and his pal Zed (Peter Greene) are keeping "The Gimp," a man held in a small box and dressed in leather bondage, including a mask that doesn't allow him to speak. The Gimp is tied up and left to watch over Butch as Maynard and Zed take Marsellus to the other room to sexually assault him, but Butch manages to get free and punch the Gimp, who unsuccessfully tries to yell to get his captors' attention.

Not much information was ever given about the character and how he ended up in that situation, until Tarantino peeled back a curtain in 2020. "It doesn't quite play this way in the movie, but, in my mind when I wrote it, the Gimp's dead,"he revealed to Empire. "Butch knocked him out and then, when he passed out, he hung himself. In terms of backstory, he was a hitchhiker or somebody that they picked up seven years ago, and they trained him so he's the perfect victim."

For his part, Hibbert embraced the bonkers role and the legacy that came with it — even if it didn't prove to be life-changing. "I never made a big deal of it,"he told Vulturein 2014. "I wish I had, but I've never figured out a way to monetize it or make it a thing. I've never sent out Christmas cards with the Gimp or anything. And whatever else I've done before or will do in show business, I don't think I'll ever have a cooler credit than that. I love the fact that I did that."

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byDonna Devi

in

March 07, 2026

Stephen Hibbert, 'The Gimp' in “Pulp Fiction”, dies at 68

Stephen Hibbert, the actor best known for playing "The Gimp" inPulp Fiction, has died at the age of 68. ...

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In reversal, Florida Bar says it is not investigating Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan

The Florida Bar said Friday it is not investigating former Justice Department attorneyLindsey Halligan, walking back an earlier statement saying aprobe was underway.

In early February, a Florida Bar official responded to a request for a probe into the Trump loyalist over her time in the administration by writing, "We already have an investigation pending."

A day after NBC News and other outlets reported on the letter Thursday, the Florida Bar said that while there is a "monitoring file," there is no investigation into Halligan.

"In response to an inquiry from a complainant, The Florida Bar wrote a letter to the complainant erroneously stating that there is a pending Bar investigation of member Lindsey Halligan," a Florida Bar spokeswoman said in a statement Friday. "There is no such pending Bar investigation of Lindsay Halligan."

The bar said it received a complaint against Halligan and then followed what it called standard practice by "monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings underlying the complaint."

The complaint to the Florida Bar came from the Campaign for Accountability, a nonprofit watchdog group. The group said that by falsely claiming to be a U.S. attorney, Halligan committed a variety of ethical violations.

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Halligan, who had no prosecutorial experience before leadingunsuccessful casesagainst former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James,left her roleas interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in January after a judge said shewas "masquerading" as the district's top federal prosecutor.

The Campaign for Accountabilityfiled complaintswith both the Florida and the Virginia bars in November, and itfollowed upwith the Florida Bar last month.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, who previously served as Florida's attorney general, criticized the earlier news reports of an investigation.

"The Florida Bar 'investigation' of Lindsey Halligan is totally fake news," she said Fridayin a post on X. "Lindsey not only did nothing wrong — she did a great job!"

Asked for comment on the Florida Bar's reversal, Halligan responded to NBC News Friday by writing, "Where's my apology?"

She also sent a screenshot of aTrump post on Truth Socialwhere he reposted Bondi's defense of Halligan.

byDonna Devi

in

March 07, 2026

In reversal, Florida Bar says it is not investigating Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan

The Florida Bar said Friday it is not investigating former Justice Department attorneyLindsey Halligan, walking back an e...

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NTSB report cites deicing delay in deadly Maine jet crash

The deadlyJan. 25 crashof aprivate jetin Bangor, Maine, happened after the luxury craft failed to depart within recommended time frames after deicing for the given weather conditions, according to a preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Allsix people on board diedin the fiery crash, which occurred as the Bombardier CL-650 took off from the Bangor International Airport's single runway enroute to France during a fierce winter storm.

FAA recommendations for the given conditions called for departure no more than 9 minutes after deicing, but the jet did not leave for nearly 17 minutes, the report said.

Snow covers the ground in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. These photos captured the winter storm's aftermath from the sky.

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Mesmerizing drone photos taken after winter storm show power of nature

Snow covers the ground in northwest Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. These photos captured thewinter storm's aftermathfrom the sky.

The jet, operated by a Houston law firm, had departed Texas with a stop in Bangor, about 130 miles northeast of Portland, for fuel and deicing services, authorities said.

According to AccuWeather, visibility at the time of the crash was about three-fourths of a mile with a low ceiling of 1,100 feet.

According to the NTSB, light snow had been reported but should have been categorized as moderate given the nighttime visibility and temperatures of about 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Those conditions specified a maximum holdover period of nine minutes from the start of the anti-ice application.

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However, the report said the plane did not depart until nearly 16 minutes after the deicing process had begun at nearly 7:28 p.m. and 13 minutes after application of anti-ice fluid concluded.

The report said the plane sat on the deice pad for nearly five minutes before it left. By then, eight minutes had passed since the deicing application had begun, it said.

A review of the plane's cockpit voice recorder indicated the flight crew discussed holdover times while taxiing to the runway, with the pilot saying it was "standard" to have 14 to 18 minutes but that if the wait was more than 30 minutes, the plane would return to the ramp to deice again. Those time frames would have been consistent with the FAA's recommendations for light snow.

The plane took off at 7:44 p.m. and ultimately came to rest upside-down before catching on fire. Federal investigators were initially unable to reach the site with the region under heavy snow and ice from a winter storm sweeping the region.

A preliminary review of flight data recorder data revealed no evidence of a flight control malfunction or failure, the NTSB said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Deicing delay cited in deadly Maine jet crash

byDonna Devi

in

March 07, 2026

NTSB report cites deicing delay in deadly Maine jet crash

The deadlyJan. 25 crashof aprivate jetin Bangor, Maine, happened after the luxury craft failed to depart within recommend...

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World Baseball Classic 2026: Japan improves to 2-0 with win over Korea

After an exciting first full day of the2026 World Baseball Classic, Saturday expects to provide even more memorable moments as pool play continues. The United States and Puerto Rico are among the teams in action and both are looking to improve to 2-0.

The eight-game schedule began with Japan topping Korea to move into a first-place tie in Pool C with Australia at 2-0. The action will continue with Panama facing Puerto Rico, Venezuela taking on Israel, and Korea playing Chinese Taipei.

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Japan 8, Korea 6

Japan hit four home runs, including two by Seiya Suzuki and another by Shohei Ohtani, to fend off Korea and improve to 2-0 in pool play.

Korea threatened in the eighth inning, cutting Japan's lead to 8-6. Hyeseong Kim came to bat with two outs and the bases loaded, but was caught looking by Yuki Matsumoto. Japan's pitching helped put out several fires during the game and finished with 15 strikeouts and only two walks.

Read more here.

Saturday's WBC schedule, how to watch

• Korea vs. Japan, 5 a.m. ET on FS1

• Colombia vs. Canada, 11 a.m. ET on FS2

• Nicaragua vs. Netherlands, 12 p.m. ET on Tubi

• Brazil vs. Italy, 1 p.m. ET on Fox Sports app

• Panama vs. Puerto Rico, 6 p.m. ET on FS1

• Israel vs. Venezuela, 7 p.m. ET on FS2

• Great Britain vs. United States, 8 p.m. ET on Fox

• Chinese Taipei vs. Korea, 10 p.m. ET on FS2

Sunday's WBC schedule

• Japan vs. Australia, 6 a.m. ET on FS1/Fubo

• Cuba vs. Colombia, noon ET on FS2/Fubo

• Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands, noon ET on Fox/Fubo

• Italy vs. Great Britain, 1 p.m. ET on Tubi

• Israel vs. Nicaragua, 7 p.m. ET on Tubi

• Canada vs. Panama, 7 p.m. ET on FS2/Fubo

• Mexico vs. Brazil, 8 p.m. ET on FS1/Fubo

byDonna Devi

in

March 07, 2026

World Baseball Classic 2026: Japan improves to 2-0 with win over Korea

After an exciting first full day of the2026 World Baseball Classic, Saturday expects to provide even more memorable momen...

Read More