Rank choice voting could have saved Democrats from their governor’s race mess
A favorite system among nonpartisan groups: ranked-choice voting. How the ranked-choice voting system worksIt’s a system already in place in states like Alaska and in several California cities, including Oakland, San Francisco and Redondo Beach. Here’s how it works: Instead of voting for one candidate, voters choose multiple candidates on their ballots, ranked in order of preference. Take the example of Alaska, where the top four candidates advance after the first round of voting and ranked-choice voting prevails in the second round. Gavin Newsom has not been a fan of ranked-choice voting.
Source:Los Angeles Times
March 20, 2026 19:48 UTC
Jenni Murray, Long-Serving Woman's Hour Presenter, Dies Aged 75
Jenni Murray pictured in 2016 David Hartley/ShutterstockDame Jenni Murray, the veteran journalist best known as the longest-serving host of the BBC’s Woman’s Hour, has died at the age of 75. Advertisement“During her decades at Woman’s Hour, she helped shape the national conversation with intelligence, rigour and a remarkable ability to connect with audiences. She continued to work in journalism following her Woman’s Hour departure, writing for the likes of the Daily Mail and Saga magazine. Dame Jenni was, simply put, a broadcasting icon. “Throughout her three groundbreaking decades on Woman’s Hour, Jenni created a safe space for her audience thanks to her warmth, intelligence and courage.
Source:Huffington Post
March 20, 2026 19:37 UTC
What we know on the 21st day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran
A fresh wave of attacks began in Tehran as Iranians gathered to mark the Persian new year. Smoke and fire rise near the South Pars gas field following an attack, amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, in Bushehr Province, Iran, on March 18, 2026,. Khalil Ashawi/ReutersStrikes on Iran: As Iranians As Iranians gathered to mark the Persian new year on Friday, a fresh wave of attacks began in Tehran. The embassy has faced multiple rocket and drone attacks since the war began, with Iran-backed militias claiming responsibility. Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect that President Donald Trump may ask Congress for up to $200 billion to fund the Iran war.
Source:CNN
March 20, 2026 19:19 UTC
22 Stats to explain Cavs win vs Bulls: Harden and Mobley duo flourishes
The Cavs played their best basketball with Mobley on the floor. Mobley went 2-6 at the free-throw line. The Cavs went just 21-31 (66.7%) on free-throw attempts. The Bulls picked up two wins against the Cavs earlier this season, largely due to their ability to run in the open floor. The Bulls picked up two wins against the Cavs earlier this season, largely due to their ability to run in the open floor.
Source:New York Times
March 20, 2026 19:09 UTC
US furiously seeks to avert potential monthslong closure of Strait of Hormuz
The spectrum of potential outcomes is way broader, and the outcome to fix the strait is not inevitable at this point,” one intelligence official said. Trump could send US troops to islands in the strait itself, which would provide strategic positioning to intercept Iranian boats or missiles. Logistically, it’s such a long shoreline, some 100 miles, that it’s difficult to do any one thing to effectively neuter the threat from Iran,” the intelligence official added. The island is internally viewed as a key leverage point that could, potentially, force Iran to agree to reopen the strait. Oil prices have continued to rise as the strait remains closed, with average gas prices in the US steadily ticking higher.
Source:CNN
March 20, 2026 19:01 UTC
Chuck Norris, black belt and action star known for ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’ dies at 86
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” the family said in a statement. “In most of my films, you see Chuck Norris, the man in the arena, always dealing with the conflict and having to deal with it physically. In 2005, “Chuck Norris Facts,” penned by Ian Spector, then a high school student, showed up on the internet forum Something Awful. “Chuck Norris was in a knife fight and the knife lost” was plastered across hoodies, tees and coffee mugs and slung to the far-reaching fandom. “Philosophy is the most important tool,” Norris told TV host Dick Cavett during a 1993 appearance on his show.
Source:Los Angeles Times
March 20, 2026 19:00 UTC
Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training Gameday Thread, #27 @ White Sox
A night game - and this one was actually scheduled this way, rather than being pushed back to the night to avoid the heat! A high of 103 F today is just… wrong for mid-March, and it’s only a couple of degrees cooler than that now. Don’t think we’ve ever previously had that discussion before Opening Day. Specifically: RHP Kevin Ginkel, RHP Ryan Thompson, LHP Brandyn Garcia, RHP Jonathan Loaisiga and RHP Andrew Hoffmann. One more appearance like that and there’ll almost be no way back for him, considering there are only a handful of spring games left.
Source:New York Times
March 20, 2026 18:57 UTC
SnakeBytes 3/20: The Regular Season approaches
The Arizona Diamondbacks have not named their closer to start the 2026 season, and they simply may not. Jason Benetti handles play-by-play, joined by analysts and World Series heroes Luis Gonzalez and Orel Hershiser. In Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, Gonzalez hit the game-winning single as Arizona won its first championship. The Fall Classic heroics capped his best statistical season as he won the Silver Slugger with a .325 batting average, 57 home runs and 142 RBI. An analyst for select Diamondbacks games, Gonzalez won the 2005 Branch Rickey Award for community service.
Source:New York Times
March 20, 2026 18:57 UTC
CNN’s Scott Jennings Lambasted by Abby Phillip Panelists Over Iran War Comment
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings faced the wrath of CNN panelists on Thursday night (March 19) after seemingly playing down the U.S. attacks on Iran while appearing on NewsNight With Abby Phillip. The panel was discussing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East when Jennings said polling shows that MAGA supporters “trust” President Donald Trump on this issue. CNN’s political analyst Josh Rogin fired back at Jennings, telling him, “This is the most unpopular war in American history, and for good reason. Jennings said the U.S. hasn’t “officially” had a war since World War II, while Rogin said the Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan generations “would take issue with that.”“But I’m saying, we haven’t declared war,” Jennings continued. “More countries are getting attacked, energy crisis is growing, the economic crisis is growing, inflation is growing, extremism and attacks on the homeland are growing.
Source:CNN
March 20, 2026 18:29 UTC
U.S.-Israeli rift widens over potential endgame in Iran
About 40 percent of its estimated 8,000 strikes have been against Iranian security forces and installations that would be used to suppress another popular uprising, a Middle East security official said. Both U.S. and Israeli intelligence officials acknowledge, however, that Iran’s regime is “not cracking” and its hold on power remains intact. “I don’t think any two leaders have been as coordinated as President Trump and I,” Netanyahu said. “We don’t believe that there is a high likelihood to overthrow a regime with the kind of air campaign we planned for Iran,” said an Israeli official. For now, Iran’s regime remains in place and, according to U.S. intelligence assessments, is more hard-line than before.
Source:Washington Post
March 20, 2026 18:02 UTC
L.A. Affairs: Everything was good. Then came the text I never wanted to get
AdvertisementThe first meal we ever shared was at Dan Tana’s: rare steak and shrimp swimming in oil and garlic. When I returned excited to see him and celebrate a big work milestone I’d helped him prepare for, I got “the text.” Careful. Standing in my kitchen decades later, looking at the text message, the same feeling of nausea washed over me. L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. Editor’s note: On April 3, L.A. Affairs Live, our new storytelling competition show, will feature real dating stories from people living in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Source:Los Angeles Times
March 20, 2026 18:01 UTC
Trump administration sues Harvard, alleging school didn’t protect Jewish students as settlement talks go nowhere
The Trump administration slapped a new multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Harvard University on Friday, alleging that the school is in violation of a civil rights law and has failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination. It is asking a federal judge to require the school to pay back millions in grant payments and halt more than $2.6 billion in existing grants. “Harvard University has failed to protect its Jewish students from harassment and has allowed discrimination to wreak havoc on its campus,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston told CNN in a statement. Harvard has previously said that the school is “far from indifferent” when it comes to addressing antisemitism on campus. In the meantime, the Trump administration has continued to find new and creative ways to exert pressure on the elite institution using multiple levers of the federal government.
Source:CNN
March 20, 2026 17:49 UTC
Three takeaways from UVA women’s basketball’s First Four win over Arizona State
It wasn’t pretty, but the tenth-seeded Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball team did just enough to pull out a 57-55 win over fellow No. With the win, Virginia will advance to face seventh-seeded Georgia in the Round of 64 on Saturday. “[Kymora] belongs on the big stage,” Coach Mox prophesied. Though she was just 4-of-17 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3-point range to that point, Johnson didn’t blink in the game’s biggest moment. Between four seasons’ worth of ACC Tournaments and a 2024 WBIT run, Virginia was just 2-5 in postseason contests under Coach Mox entering Thursday evening.
Source:New York Times
March 20, 2026 17:46 UTC
Public Skate: Bruins vs. Jets
WINNIPEG, CANADA - DECEMBER 11: Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo #70 of the Boston Bruins makes a save in front of Kyle Connor #81 of the Winnipeg Jets during second period action at Canada Life Centre on December 11, 2025 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) NHLI via Getty ImagesWelcome to another night of hockey, folks! Overall, taking four points out of six on a three-game road trip is pretty good, even if the way the B’s lost two games was a bit annoying. Points remain at a premium for both the Bruins, who currently find themselves in a playoff spot, and the Jets, who are on the outside looking in. In Massachusetts!
Source:New York Times
March 20, 2026 17:45 UTC