Let the madness begin
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Millions of brackets are already busted as the first round of the men's NCAA Tournament begins. A historic kidney transplant — from a pig — was successful. And Apple is playing an unfair game of Monopoly, according to the Justice Department.
👋 Howdy! Julius checking in with Thursday's news.
But first, who let the dogs out? 🐕 The American Kennel Club unveiled which dog breeds were America's favorites in 2023. See who snagged the top spot.
Is your bracket already busted? 🏀
Welp, my dream of a perfect March Madness bracket has already been dashed. The men's NCAA Tournament is underway with first-round basketball games, and many across the nation have had their brackets busted. Michigan State kicked off Thursday's action by beating Mississippi State, 69-51. Not long after that game, No. 11 Duquesne claimed the tournament's first notable upset by defeating No. 6 BYU. Fourteen other teams playing Thursday will join Michigan State and Duquesne in the next round, with college basketball heavyweights Kentucky, Kansas and Gonzaga among those looking to advance. Follow along with the latest March Madness updates.
NCAA men's tournament schedule, bracket, TV times as March Madness begins
After beating cancer, Myles Rice hopes to lead Washington State on an NCAA Tournament run
NCAA women's tournament schedule, bracket, TV times as March Madness begins
A historic kidney transplant from a gene-edited pig
For the first time, a kidney from a gene-edited pig was transplanted to a person, offering hope for thousands of patients. A surgical team from Massachusetts General Hospital performed the four-hour procedure on March 16, connecting the pig kidney’s blood vessels and ureter with those of the 62-year-old patient, Richard "Rick" Slayman of Massachusetts. Slayman was recovering and was expected to be discharged soon. Out of more than 100,000 people on the national organ transplant list, more than 88,000 are waiting for a kidney, so the need for kidneys is urgent, experts say. Read more about the historic procedure.
Real quick
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The DOJ sues Apple
The Justice Department sued Apple on Thursday, accusing it of monopolizing the smartphone market. The tech giant restricted developers of apps, products and services used on the iPhone that could otherwise lower costs for consumers, according to the lawsuit filed in New Jersey. Apple's practices allow it to extract more money from consumers, software developers, publishers and merchants, according to the lawsuit joined by 16 state and district attorneys general. “Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement accompanying the lawsuit. Here's what else the lawsuit says.
Blinken says a cease-fire agreement is 'very much possible'
A cease-fire in Gaza is “very much possible” and "gaps are narrowing" between Israel and Hamas on a deal for an extended truce, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. Blinken’s comments came as the U.S. circulates a draft U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip linked to the release of hostages. Blinken will visit Tel Aviv on Friday amid fraying U.S.-Israeli relations over Israeli plans for a ground invasion of Rafah and disagreements over the future of the Gaza Strip. See the latest updates on the Israel-Hamas war.
A break from the news
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📦 Amazon Deals: Shop for the best products under $100 during the Big Spring sale.
✈ Flights to Miami for less than $100? Cheap airline tickets to nab this spring and summer.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness, pig kidney transplant, Apple: Thursday's news
