Naomi Girma set to return home to San Jose for USWNT match against Japan

Naomi Girma is going to play at home in Northern California with the U.S. national team later this monthfor the first time since a send-off gamefor the 2023 Women's World Cup.

US Women Roster Soccer

Coach Emma Hayes announced Wednesday that Girma, who was born in San Jose and played at nearby Stanford, will be on the roster when the U.S. plays the first ofthree matches against Japanon April 11 at San Jose's Pay Pal Park.

Her last U.S. national team appearance in her hometown was in a 2-0 victory over Wales ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

"Playing for the national team in the Bay always just feels like kind of surreal, and seeing a lot of people who come to support me, who were there when I was playing club soccer, just playing for fun, and being like, 'Wow, I can't believe that we're all here and we've made it this far.' So it always is really special for me," Girma said.

Girma's Stanford teammate Sophia Wilson was named to her first roster in 15 months after taking last year off for the birth of her daughter. Defender Tierna Davidson, who tore her ACL last season, will also return.

"I think it's a great test for us," Girma said about Japan. "They're a great side, just won the Asian Cup. And I think they're very organized in their defense, but then also in their attack and they bring something different to a lot of other opponents that we play. So I think it's always a good test for us to measure ourselves against them."

Girma plays professionally in England for Chelsea. She joined the Women's Super League clubin early 2025 on a $1.1 million transferfrom the San Diego Wave. This past weekend the defender scored her first WSL goal in a 4-3 victory over Aston Villa to move the Blues in to second in the standings behind Manchester City.

She made her debut for the national team in 2022. She has appeared in 52 games with the United States and played on the squad that won thegold medal at the Paris Olympics.

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Wilson was left off the U.S. roster for the recent SheBelieves Cup as she worked her way back from maternity leave with her club team, the Portland Thorns. Wilson has played in 58 games for the national team, scoring 24 goals, including three at the Olympics in France.

After the match in San Jose, the series against Japan will move to Seattle's Lumen Field on April 14. The final game is set for April 17 at Dick's Sporting Good's Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

The roster by position with club affiliation:

Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United).

Defenders: Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Angel City), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Gisele Thompson (Angel City), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave).

Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Manchester City), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes).

Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns).

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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April 01, 2026

Naomi Girma set to return home to San Jose for USWNT match against Japan

Naomi Girma is going to play at home in Northern California with the U.S. national team later this monthfor the first tim...

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Umpire C.B. Bucknor in spotlight again over blatant missed call

Three days afterhaving six of his calls overturnedby MLB's newAutomated Balls and Strikes system, umpire C.B. Bucknor was in the spotlight once again Tuesday night.

Serving as the first-base umpire in Milwaukee for the Brewers' March 31 game against theTampa Bay Rays, Bucknor had one of the most blatant blown calls you'll ever see overturned by replay, leading to similar amused reactions in both dugouts.

The play occurred in the sixth inning with Milwaukee leading 4-2 and first baseman Jake Bauers at the plate. Bauers' line drive went off the glove of Rays second baseman Ben Williamson, who then threw wildly to first base.

The Rays retrieved the ball and tagged Bauers, whom Bucknor called out for failing to touch first base.

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As the television announcers pointed out, Bucknor didn't even seem to be looking at Bauers' foot as he clearly stepped on the first base bag.

It didn't take long for replay to overturn the call.

Bauers ended up stealing second base and coming around to score on Brandon Lockridge's RBI double asthe Brewers went on to a 6-2 win.

What the new MLB ABS system looked like in action

"I don't know what happened,"Bauers told reporters after the game, avoiding repeated opportunities to comment any further. "I'm just thankful to get on base and thankful to come around and score."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:C.B. Bucknor has blatant missed call reversed in Brewers-Rays game

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April 01, 2026

Umpire C.B. Bucknor in spotlight again over blatant missed call

Three days afterhaving six of his calls overturnedby MLB's newAutomated Balls and Strikes system, umpire C.B. Buck...

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Nevada lithium mine clears major hurdle despite conservationists' worries for rare wildflower

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal judge in Nevada has ruled against conservationists who wanted to stop a lithium-boron mine they said would harm anendangered wildflower.

The ruling marks a major legal victory for the 11-square-mile (28.49 square-kilometer) Rhyolite Ridge Lithium/Boron Mine Project in Esmeralda County, located between Reno and Las Vegas. The land holds the largest lithium and boron deposit in the world outside of Turkey, said Bernard Rowe, managing director of Ioneer, the Australia-based company behind the project.

U.S. District Judge Cristina Silva ruled Friday that the federal government properly approved the project and sufficiently examined the impacts the project will have on the rare wildflower called Tiehm's buckwheat, whose entire population grows within 10 acres (4.05 hectares) of land in the project area. Environmental groups behind the lawsuit say they may appeal.

Lithium is an essential component of electric vehicle batteries. Rhyolite Ridge would beNevada's third lithium mine, and one of few mines that will process the materials on site, Rowe said.

"Rhyolite Ridge will create hundreds of new American jobs, reduce reliance on foreign materials and processing, and provide a domestic source of two critical minerals," Chad Yeftich, vice president of corporate development and external affairs at Ioneer, said in a statement.

Growing US manufacturing

Ioneer wants construction to start by the end of this year and production in 2029, though it is still looking for a financial partner after a major investor pulled out last year. Sibanye Stillwater said the project did not make financial sense. In January 2025, the Department of Energy finalized a nearly $1 billion loan for the project.

The $2 billion mine would have a life span of over 77 years and would produce enough lithium carbonate for around 400,000 electric vehicles per year, Rowe said. It will also produce boric acid, which is used in pest control, flame retardant, and medical and personal care.

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Rhyolite Ridge wasfirst approved under the Biden administrationas an part of the former president's clean energy agenda. The Trump administration has alsosupported lithium projects in Nevadaas a way to bolster US manufacturing of critical minerals. The Interior Department declined to comment.

Protecting the wildflower

The Center for Biological Diversity, which haslong fought to protectthe wildflower and successfully pushed for its endangered species designation in 2022, is not finished in its fight, Great Basin Director Patrick Donnelly said.

His organization is considering appealing the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the case could have implications for other species and protected habitats on the Endangered Species Act.

"This can seem like a little remote flower in the middle of nowhere. But if we lose on Tiehm's buckwheat, you know, what else are we facing with the whittling away of the Endangered Species Act?" Donnelly said.

Tiehm's buckwheat is a wildflower a couple inches tall that grows in an area the size of seven football fields in the Silver Peak Range. In the spring, the plant produces green leaves and yellow flowers that look like pom-poms. When it blooms, it is the epicenter of a vibrant pollinator community, Donnelly said.

Silva, a Biden-nominated judge, found Ioneer's mitigation efforts, which include fencing around the habitat and buffer zones between the mining activities and the buckwheat, were sufficient for the purposes of the Endangered Species Act. Silva wrote that of the buckwheat's 1.4 square mile (3.63 square kilometers) of critical habitat, it will lose 4.9% due to the project.

Donnelly maintains the mining project will increase the risk of the wildflower going extinct, which would affect the ecosystem's biodiversity. He cast doubt that fencing around the flower's habitat will protect it.

"There's been this kind of death by a thousand cuts for Tiehm's buckwheat," Donnelly said, adding that if it were to move forward, it would be the "death blow" for the wildflower.

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April 01, 2026

Nevada lithium mine clears major hurdle despite conservationists' worries for rare wildflower

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal judge in Nevada has ruled against conservationists who wanted to stop a lithium-boron mine the...

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Appeals court suspends order for Voice of America employees to return to work

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court panelagreed Tuesdayto suspend a federal judge's order for the Trump administration to bring hundreds of Voice of America employees back to work from paid leave.

The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a stay pending the government's appeal of the lower court'sMarch 17 ruling. More than 1,000 employees of Voice of America will remain on administrative leave while the appeals court weighs the case, a process that could take months.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered President Donald Trump's administration to restore the government-run Voice of America's operations after it had effectively been shut down a year ago. Lamberth was nominated by Republican President Ronald Reagan.

The case is assigned to Circuit Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson, Robert Wilkins and Gregory Katsas.

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Henderson was nominated by Republican President George H.W. Bush. Wilkins was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama. Katsas was nominated by Trump, a Republican.

Voice of America has broadcast news reports to countries around the world since its formation during World War II. Before Trump's executive order, it had operated in 49 different languages, broadcasting to 362 million people.

Voice of America has been operating with a skeleton staff since Trump issued an executive order to shut it down.

Lamberth also has ruled that Kari Lake, Trump's choice to lead Voice of America, did not have the legal authority to do what she had done at the agency.

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April 01, 2026

Appeals court suspends order for Voice of America employees to return to work

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court panelagreed Tuesdayto suspend a federal judge's order for the Trump administration...

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Golf's post-Tiger Woods era has officially arrived

It's here. The moment the sport of golf — its players, its executives, its sponsors — has dreaded for nearly three decades. It's time to face a world without Tiger Woods.

Like a dreamer in a warm bed hitting snooze again and again, the entire sport of golf has pushed off this moment of reckoning. And why not? Woods transformed his sport like almost no other single athlete in history. He transformed a niche sport into a mainstream one. He added zeroes to the bank accounts of everyone involved in the game. He embodied a relentless dominance that singlehandedly reshaped golf from its pleats-and-plaid image into aspirational cool.

And clearly, it all came at terrible personal cost to Woods himself.

"I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,"Woods wrote in a post on X Tuesday evening, his first public statement since aFriday wreck and arrest,his fourth major traffic incident involving the police. "I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery."

While the statement doesn't exactly helpWoods' fight against DUI charges— it's not an admission of guilt, but it certainly suggests there's more at work than simply distracted driving — this was a necessary step for Woods to try to salvage what he can professionally from the disaster that is now his personal life.

"I'm committed to taking the time needed to return to a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally," Woods' statement continued. "I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time."

Before we get too far down the business-of-golf route, let's take a moment to note that this is exactly what Woods needs to be doing right now. Clearly, he's struggling with demons, both internal and external, and he's in the grips of something that doesn't respect his 15 majors or his hundreds of millions. Recognizing that, however belatedly, is a significant step on the road to recovery.

From the moment he introduced himself in 1996 with "Hello, world," Woods has shaped the direction of the PGA Tour. For the next 13 years, he owned the sport, swelling purses and sponsor commitments and generally making everyone involved with golf a whole lot richer and happier. It must have seemed like it would go on forever.

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And then came Thanksgiving 2009, and all of Woods' demons and skeletons came tumbling out of his closet into public view. He became a different kind of moneymaker for golf then, a spectacle and a tabloid foundation.

For a while, after the blast of the infidelity scandal faded, he won just enough of the smaller events to think he might possibly win another major, doing just enough between injury layoffs to make you think that maybe, mayyyybe he had one more miracle left in him.

Turns out, he did. When he won that landmark Masters in 2019 — his first major in 11 years — he restarted the whole "Days Without Tiger Woods Propping Up The PGA Tour" clock to 0. And golf had been living under that clock right up until last week when Tiger made his return at the TGL indoor golf league championship finale, doubling ratings from the night before.

All of us — fans, sponsors, tours, media — have spent the last 30 years deeply, inextricably invested in the business of Tiger Woods. Maybe we all should have thought a bit more about what all this was doing to the person of Tiger Woods … because clearly, he was cracking a whole lot more than he was winning.

He's gone from the game now, and who knows for how long? "A period of time" could mean he's coming back to play later this year, or it could literally mean we'll never see him again. If he does come back, though, it's all but impossible to imagine that Woods will have any kind of significant competitive impact on the course ever again. He'll remain at 15 majors, three behind Jack Nicklaus.

Golf will continue on its path to reinvent itself without Woods' direct influence, as well. The PGA Tour is in the midst of tearing itself down to the studs, and given its ambitious rebuilding schedule, it can't afford to wait for Woods to return. How will his absence affect the upcoming direction of the Tour, which had been on a track to reward stars over grinders?

Whenever Woods does return, there will be the requisite stories, profiles, social media banners. But it's clear now that it's all cheap heat, a pale reflection of a Woods that burned out and vanished a long time ago.

Tiger Woods can't give, or be, everything to golf. Not anymore.

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April 01, 2026

Golf's post-Tiger Woods era has officially arrived

It's here. The moment the sport of golf — its players, its executives, its sponsors — has dreaded for nearly three de...

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Max Scherzer pitches six innings to win first start of season as Blue Jays beat Rockies 5-1

TORONTO (AP) — Max Scherzer gave up four hits in six solid innings to win his first start of the season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached base four times, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Rockies Blue Jays Baseball

Scherzer (1-0) allowed one run, walked one and struck out four. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has 3,493 career strikeouts.

Mason Fluharty got two outs, Brayon Fisher went 1 1/3 innings and Jeff Hoffman pitched the ninth.

Hunter Goodman hit a solo home run off Scherzer in the sixth but the Rockies lost for the fourth time in five games.

Colorado is 2-12 in franchise history in Toronto.

Toronto's Jesús Sánchez hit an RBI single off Jaden Hill in the fifth and Guerrero followed with a bases-loaded walk.

Guerrero went 2 for 3 with two walks. He drove in a run and scored once.

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Rockies right-handerRyan Feltner exited two batters after he was struck by a 106 mph line drivein the third inning. Colorado said Feltner left because of a right glute contusion.

Feltner retired the first eight batters in order before he was struck by Andrés Giménez's liner near his hip. The ball bounced away for a single.

Manager Warren Schaeffer and the trainer checked on Feltner, who remained in the game. George Springer followed with a walk but Feltner retired Sánchez on the first pitch.

Feltner struck out four in three innings. Juan Mejia (0-1) took over in the fourth.

Kazuma Okamoto, Nathan Lukes and Ernie Clement all had RBI hits off Zach Agnos in the bottom of the seventh.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (0-0, 1.50 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday's series finale against Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-1, 4.15).

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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April 01, 2026

Max Scherzer pitches six innings to win first start of season as Blue Jays beat Rockies 5-1

TORONTO (AP) — Max Scherzer gave up four hits in six solid innings to win his first start of the season, Vladimir Guerrer...

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Lakers clinch playoff berth, Pacific Division title with Suns loss

For the second consecutive year, theLos Angeles Lakerswill finish the regular season atop the Pacific Division.

The Lakers (49-26) clinched a playoff spot and the division title before their game against theCleveland Cavalierson Tuesday night even tipped off, thanks to thePhoenix Suns'115-111loss to theOrlando Magicearlier.

With division title already in tow, the Lakers defeated theCavaliers,127-113, on Tuesday night. With the win, the Lakers have secured back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.

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Luka Doncic made a statement in his return froma one-game suspensionafterreceiving his 16th technical foulin LA's win over theBrooklyn Netson Friday, leading all scorers with 42 points. He also had 12 rebounds and 5 assists Xto re-assert himself in the MVP conversation. Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayrton added another boost offensively with 19 and 18 points, respectively.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

While the Lakers have historically dominated the Pacific with 26 titles since the division was established in 1970-71, their current run of two straight since the arrival of head coach JJ Redick snapped a dry spell that began aftertheir NBA championship run in 2019-20.

The red-hot Lakers — winners of 11 of their last 17 — currently sit as the third seed in the West after Monday, one game ahead of the fourth-placeDenver Nuggetsand three games ahead of theMinnesota TimberwolvesandHouston Rockets. And with their postseason spot now in hand, LA could have a chance to cement their claim at the third spot with wins over theDallas Mavericks,Golden State Warriors, Suns andUtah Jazz.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Los Angeles Lakers clinch playoff spot, Pacific Division title

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April 01, 2026

Lakers clinch playoff berth, Pacific Division title with Suns loss

For the second consecutive year, theLos Angeles Lakerswill finish the regular season atop the Pacific Division. ...

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