The Cold Take

Tiger Woods DUI, Iran Conflict, Government Shutdown, Election Fraud, LaGuardia Plane Crash, March Madness

Written by

Stephen

in

From the desk of Rich Stephens

News for the week ending 3-28-26

Below find the expanded text from tonight’s broadcast. For corrections or additions, contact Rich directly.

Tiger Woods

On Friday, March 27, just before 2 p.m., Tiger Woods was involved in a rollover crash in Jupiter, Florida. Police said Woods was driving a black Land Rover at high speed when he overtook and struck a trailer heading in the same direction. This caused his vehicle to roll on its side. He exited through the passenger door, and when police arrived, showed signs of impairment. Woods was taken to jail where he passed a breathalyzer but refused a urinalysis and was arrested for DUI. Police said he was cooperative and no injuries were reported. President Donald Trump said, “I feel so badly, he’s got some difficulty. There was an accident and that’s all I know. Very close friend of mine, he’s an amazing person, an amazing man, but some difficulty.” On May 29, 2017, Woods was arrested by Jupiter Police when he was found asleep in his car a few miles from his home.

Jupiter Police Press Conference

Prior Incident Police Report

Current Events

Florida Man Crashes Car, Attempts To Board Plane

On March 25, Florida Man went hard. 58 year old Brian J Parker told deputies “I don’t remember anything. I was at my house and went to an AA meeting. And you know. Doing cocaine, drinking and smoking pot.” Parker drove through a locked gate at Daytona International Airport and onto a taxiway. Once there, he attempted to board an occupied plane operated by Embry Riddle. Deputies took him into custody at the scene. Authorities said no injuries were reported and airport operations continued, despite what appears to be a brief test of the unofficial “drive-up boarding” system. Parker faces charges including attempted aircraft piracy, felony trespass, and DUI with property damage.

Police Statement / Body Cam Footage

Operation Gold Rush / DOJ Health Care Fraud Case

On Monday, June 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, stating that 324 defendants were charged in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices in schemes involving more than $14.6 billion in intended loss. DOJ said the action was the largest health care fraud takedown in Department history.

Within that broader action, DOJ identified Operation Gold Rush as a nationwide investigation that produced what the department called the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. DOJ said charges tied to that investigation were announced in the Eastern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of California, Middle District of Florida, and District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. 

According to DOJ, the alleged organization used a network of foreign straw owners to buy dozens of medical supply companies in the United States, then submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment. DOJ said the claims were submitted using the stolen identities and confidential medical information of more than one million Americans spanning all 50 states. 

The Eastern District of New York said 11 defendants were indicted there in the Operation Gold Rush matter and alleged that they were members of a transnational criminal organization based in Russia and elsewhere. That release said the organization used nominee owners and fictitious corporate records to conceal control of durable medical equipment companies, then rapidly submitted billions of dollars in false claims to Medicare and Medicare supplemental insurers.

DOJ said 12 defendants were arrested, including four defendants apprehended in Estonia and seven arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico. DOJ also said the organization allegedly laundered proceeds through the U.S. financial system, cryptocurrency, and shell companies located abroad. 

On the payment side, DOJ said HHS-OIG and CMS prevented the organization from receiving all but about $41 million of approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. DOJ also said the scheme nonetheless resulted in about $900 million in payments from Medicare supplemental insurers, and that law enforcement had seized about $27.7 million in fraud proceeds tied to Operation Gold Rush.

DOJ press release

Eastern District of New York press release

LaGuardia Plane / Firetruck Collision

On Sunday night, March 22, Air Canada flight 8646 collided with a port authority firefighting vehicle at 11:49 pm. The aircraft was carrying 72 passengers and 4 crew, with 2 crew aboard the firetruck. Officials said around 40 people were hospitalized and that both pilots were killed in the crash. The firetruck was en route to a United flight that had aborted takeoff stating that there was an odor in the cabin they wanted investigated. The NTSB has 25 hours of audio and 80 hours of data from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.

Timeline of Events:

  • 3:07 — Approach instructs aircraft to contact LaGuardia Airport tower
  • 2:45 — Landing gear lowered
  • 2:22 — Flight checks in with tower
  • 2:17 — Tower clears aircraft to land on Runway 4; advises number 2 for landing
  • 1:52 — Flaps set to 30°
  • 1:33 — Flaps set to 45°
  • 1:26 — EGPWS “1000” callout (1,000 feet AGL)
  • 1:12 — Landing checklist confirmed complete
  • 1:03 — Airport vehicle transmission to tower (partially blocked/stepped on)
  • 0:54 — Crew calls “500,” confirms stable approach
  • 0:40 — Tower asks which vehicle needs to cross a runway
  • 0:28 — “Truck 1” transmits to tower
  • 0:26 — Tower acknowledges
  • 0:25 — Truck 1 requests to cross Runway 4 at Taxiway D
  • 0:20 — Tower clears Truck 1 to cross Runway 4
  • 0:19 — EGPWS “100” callout
  • 0:17 — Truck 1 reads back runway crossing clearance
  • 0:14 — EGPWS “50” callout
  • 0:12 — EGPWS “30” callout; tower instructs a Frontier flight to hold
  • 0:11 — EGPWS “20” callout
  • 0:10 — EGPWS “10” callout
  • 0:09 — Tower instructs Truck 1 to stop
  • 0:08 — Sound consistent with landing gear touchdown
  • 0:06 — Transfer of controls between pilots
  • 0:04 — Tower again instructs Truck 1 to stop
  • 0:00 — Recording ends

Secretary Duffy Initial Statement

NTSB Initial Statement

Initial Daylight Images

Initial FAA Statement

LaGuardia Statement

Air Canada Statement

Statement from Passenger on Landing

ATC Statement / Details (third party)

Video of Crash

NTSB Press Conference (most recent)

Meta / Alphabet Lawsuit Losses

The New Mexico Department of Justice announced on Monday, March 24, that a jury found Meta liable in the state’s case over child safety and deceptive platform practices, and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties. According to the DOJ, the jury found Meta liable for both claims brought under New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act and imposed the maximum statutory penalty of $5,000 per violation.

That means the story tied to the New Mexico DOJ link is not the separate California verdict involving Meta and Google’s YouTube. The New Mexico case is a state enforcement action brought by Attorney General Raúl Torrez. The California case involved a private plaintiff and two companies, with damages later described by plaintiff’s counsel as $3 million in compensatory damages and another $3 million in punitive damages, split 70% to Meta and 30% to YouTube.

New Mexico’s case began in December 2023, when Torrez announced a lawsuit against Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, and related entities, alleging the company’s platforms exposed children to sexual abuse, online solicitation, and trafficking-related risks. In May 2024, the DOJ announced that the judge denied Meta’s motion to dismiss, allowing the litigation to proceed toward trial.

In the March 24 verdict release, the DOJ said trial evidence included internal Meta documents and testimony from former Meta employees, law enforcement officials, and New Mexico educators. The office said the evidence showed Meta’s design features enabled predators to exploit children and exposed young users to dangerous content, including material related to eating disorders and self-harm.

Attorney General Torrez called the verdict “a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety.” He also said New Mexico would move into the next phase of the case and seek additional penalties and court-ordered changes to the platform. According to the DOJ, a bench trial on the remaining public nuisance claim is scheduled to begin May 4, where the state will seek injunctive relief, additional damages, age-verification measures, and other changes.

New Mexico DOJ Statement

New Mexico DOJ Filing

DOJ On Motion To Dismiss

New Mexico DOJ Response to Ruling

Lanier Law Firm Statement

Lanier Law Firm Additional Statement

Education Fraud

Monday, March 23, The U.S. DOGE Service said more than $1 billion in federal student aid fraud has been stopped since January 2025.

Officials report nearly $90 million was already paid out, including $30 million to deceased individuals and over $40 million to AI-generated “students.” The schemes used automated applications and synthetic identities to access federal funds.

A new identity verification system flagged roughly 150,000 suspicious identities in its first week.

DOE Press Release

World

Iran Conflict

Saturday, March 28 — Operation Epic Fury remains ongoing, according to official statements from the White House and U.S. Central Command.

The White House said President Donald Trump authorized Operation Epic Fury on March 1, describing the operation as targeting Iran’s missile capabilities, naval forces, and ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

U.S. Central Command states that operations are continuing against Iranian military targets, including launch areas and port facilities associated with activity near the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM also issued warnings on March 8 and March 11 advising civilians to avoid areas used for missile launches and Iranian naval operations.

In a March 19 Pentagon briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the campaign remains focused on destroying Iranian missiles and launchers, degrading Iran’s navy, and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He stated that thousands of targets had been struck and that missile and drone attacks had decreased following the operation.

On March 26, Hegseth said Iranian naval capabilities had been “heavily degraded” and confirmed the death of the IRGC navy commander in a strike.

The White House also indicated possible diplomatic movement. Official posts state that a pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure is in effect following what President Trump described as “very good and productive conversations” with Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded on March 28 by blaming the United States and Israel for the conflict and stating that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to U.S.- and Israel-affiliated vessels. Iran said other vessels may transit the strait under coordination with Iranian authorities.

Regional governments, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, issued a joint statement condemning Iranian attacks and describing them as violations of sovereignty and international law. Oman separately called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomatic dialogue.

Sources

United States Politics

Election Fraud Cases

On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, during a Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee session, witness Mark Cook stated that voting systems used in Georgia are vulnerable to manipulation and that votes can be altered after casting. No published technical report, court ruling, or official government finding has been identified validating these claims. Prior state audits and investigations into Georgia’s election process did not document machine-based vote manipulation.

Back in February, the Alabama Secretary of State announced that a Russell County grand jury indicted three individuals on a combined 33 counts related to absentee election law violations. The charges stem from ballot harvesting and related absentee ballot offenses. Secretary of State Wes Allen said “Absentee ballot harvesting is not being tolerated in Alabama. These arrests send a clear message to those contemplating violating Alabama election law.”

Georgia Government Affairs Hearing

Mark Cook Allegations

Alabama Election Integrity Statement

Alabama Election Integrity Case

ICE Assists TSA

On Sunday, March 22, President Trump announced that ICE agents would deploy to airports across the country Monday. Amid the ongoing partial shutdown, they would be used to ease pressure on TSA. Democrats expressed their opposition with Chuck Schumer saying “ICE agents don’t know the first thing about airport security. They weren’t trained to screen travelers.” DHS, ICE and TSA all touted the move as helping to move lines along faster.

Trump Truth Social Announcement

White House Announcement

Democrat Criticism

Homeland Security Statement

Supreme Court Hears Mail In Ballot Case

On Monday, March 23, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Watson v. RNC over whether ballots must be received by Election Day. Mississippi argued voters complete their choice by Election Day even if ballots arrive later. Challengers argued federal law requires ballots to be both cast and received by that day. Justices focused on defining when a vote becomes final and whether Election Day is a hard cutoff or a deadline for voter action. Hit subscribe and we’ll notify you when the court issues a ruling.

Full Oral Arguments Transcript

Pentagon Moves Media After Court Ruling

The Pentagon announced it is moving media out of the building.  The first official tightening came in a May 23, 2025 memorandum titled “Updated Physical Control Measures for Press/Media Access Within the Pentagon.” In that memo, the Defense Department said protection of classified and sensitive information “remains an unwavering imperative,” said the Chief of Staff had directed an investigation into unauthorized disclosures, and imposed new access limits on resident and visiting press, including escort requirements for access to many parts of the building. The memo also said an updated in-briefing form and additional security measures were coming.

The March 20 court ruling traces the next phase. Judge Paul Friedman wrote that in September 2025 Sean Parnell issued a memo titled “Implementation of New Media In-brief,” and that on October 6, 2025 the Department issued a final PFAC policy. According to the ruling, that policy said a press credential could be denied, revoked, or not renewed if a journalist was deemed a security or safety risk, and that solicitation of controlled unclassified information could lead to immediate suspension or revocation. The court also found that journalists were told they would lose their credentials if they did not sign by October 15, 2025, and that Times reporters, along with most other PFAC holders at the time, refused and turned in their credentials.

The ruling itself is the key document for March 20. In New York Times Company et al. v. Department of Defense et al., No. 1:25-cv-04218, Document 35, Judge Friedman found the policy’s “true purpose and practical effect” was “to weed out disfavored journalists” and wrote, “That is viewpoint discrimination, full stop.” The opinion also states that the Department had to immediately restore New York Times credentials.

After that ruling, the Pentagon responded in an official March 23 release from Sean Parnell and in his public statement. In the release, Parnell said the court had vacated key security provisions of the October 2025 media policy, said the Department disagreed and was appealing, and announced: “Effective immediately, the Correspondents’ Corridor is closed.” He also said, “A new and improved press workspace will be established in an annex facility outside the Pentagon,” and that all journalist access to the building would require an escort. The revised March 23 Pentagon memo says it supersedes the October 6, 2025 “Implementation of New Media In-Brief” and retains physical access restrictions and security measures not affected by the litigation.

The strongest direct quote from the earlier Pentagon side is from the May 23 memo: the new measures were needed “to reduce the opportunities for in-person inadvertent and unauthorized disclosures.” The strongest direct quote from the court is “That is viewpoint discrimination, full stop.” The strongest direct quote from the March 23 Pentagon response is “Effective immediately, the Correspondents’ Corridor is closed.”

A key limitation: there is no primary-source document stating that the Pentagon “defied” the court. What can be proven is that the court vacated the policy, the Pentagon said it would appeal, and the Department then replaced unescorted in-building access with escorted access and an external annex.
Pentagon Memo (May 23, 2025)

Federal Court Ruling (March 20, 2026)

Pentagon Statement (March 23, 2026)

Sean Parnell X Post

Markwayne Mullin Confirmed as DHS Head

On Monday, March 23, the Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security by a 54–45 vote. The White House said he was sworn in the following day as the department’s ninth secretary.

Mullin is a business owner, rancher, and former member of Congress. At his confirmation hearing, he said, “If confirmed, I will enforce the law as it is written. I cannot pick and choose which laws to enforce.”

Supporters praised the confirmation, with Sen. James Lankford saying Mullin “knows how to lead and how to get results,” while Sen. Tammy Duckworth opposed it, saying he “lacks the qualifications for the job.”

Mullin Bio

White House Nomination Statement

Mullin Nomination Statement

Tammy Duckworth Opposition Statement

Pete Ricketts Support Statement

James Lankford Support Statement

Government Affairs Announcement

Cox Communications v. Sony Music

I traced this story back to the Supreme Court’s March 25 opinion in Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment. The case came out of a copyright suit against Cox, an internet service provider, over claims that it continued providing service to subscribers whose accounts were tied to music piracy notices.

According to the Court’s opinion, Sony and other copyright owners used a company called MarkMonitor to track online infringement and send notices to internet providers. During the roughly two-year period at issue, MarkMonitor sent Cox 163,148 notices identifying subscriber IP addresses associated with infringement. The opinion says Cox had a graduated response system that included warnings, suspensions, and possible termination of service after repeated notices.

Sony sued Cox in federal court under two theories of secondary copyright liability: contributory liability and vicarious liability. The jury found for Sony on both theories, found Cox’s infringement willful, and awarded $1 billion in statutory damages. The district court largely let that verdict stand.

The Fourth Circuit then split the result. The Supreme Court’s opinion says the appeals court affirmed contributory liability, reversed vicarious liability, vacated the damages award, and sent the case back for a new damages determination based only on contributory liability.

That brought the case to the Supreme Court. In its March 25 decision, the Court held that a service provider is contributorily liable for a user’s infringement only if it intended the service to be used for infringement. The Court said that intent can be shown only if the provider induced the infringement or if the service was tailored to infringement. The Court concluded that Cox did neither.

The key line from the Court is that “mere knowledge that a service will be used to infringe is insufficient to establish the required intent to infringe.” In other words, the Court rejected the idea that an internet provider can be held contributorily liable simply because it knows some subscribers are using the service to pirate copyrighted works.

The Court’s bottom-line holding was direct: Cox “neither induced its users’ infringement nor provided a service tailored to infringement; accordingly, Cox is not contributorily liable for the infringement of Sony’s copyrights.” The judgment was reversed and the case was remanded.

That is the story. This was not just a procedural ruling. The Supreme Court narrowed the circumstances under which copyright owners can hold an internet provider secondarily liable for user piracy, rejecting a knowledge-alone standard and requiring proof of inducement or a service specifically tailored to infringement.

Supreme Court Opinion

Supreme Court opinions for March 25, 2026 

Supreme Court docket for 24-171

Supreme Court granted and noted list

Denaturalized Citizens

March 26 the Justice Department announced that it had secured the denaturalization of two individuals and filed a complaint against a third person accused of marriage fraud. The release identifies one of the two denaturalized individuals as Vladimir Volgaev and says the actions are part of the Department’s effort to revoke citizenship obtained through concealment, fraud, or willful misrepresentation.

According to the Justice Department, Volgaev is a native of Ukraine who concealed and misrepresented his involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle more than a thousand firearm components out of the United States and ship them to foreign markets. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, “American citizenship is a sacred privilege — not a cheap status that can be obtained dishonestly.” She added that the cases reflect the Department’s ongoing effort “to strip citizenship from people who conceal crimes or defraud the American people during the immigration process.”

The broader legal authority for these cases is not new. Federal law, at 8 U.S.C. § 1451, authorizes the government to seek revocation of naturalization when citizenship was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. The statute says U.S. attorneys have a duty to bring such cases upon a sufficient showing, and that revocation is effective as of the original date of naturalization.

The Department of Justice also has an established structure for handling these cases. In 2020, DOJ announced the creation of a dedicated Denaturalization Section within the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation. At the time, the Department said the section would investigate and litigate denaturalization cases involving “terrorists, war criminals, sex offenders, and other fraudsters,” and said the move was driven by a growing number of referrals from law enforcement agencies.

That means the March 26 announcement is not proof of a brand-new legal tool. What it does show is that the Department is actively using existing denaturalization authority in current fraud and criminal-conduct cases. In this instance, DOJ said it secured denaturalization against two people and separately sued to revoke the citizenship of a third person who allegedly obtained naturalization through marriage fraud.

One important limitation remains. The March 26 release does not provide the full court records, case numbers, or complete identities for all three individuals in the visible release text. What can be proven from the primary-source material is the Justice Department’s announcement, the name and allegations involving Vladimir Volgaev, the existence of two completed denaturalization actions and one newly filed complaint, and the statutory basis the government uses to pursue those cases.

Sources:

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Convicted by Ethics

On Thursday, March 27, the House Ethics Committee found 25 counts proven against Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. The counts include misuse of official resources, undisclosed payments to herself, and improper campaign contributions.

Cherfilus-McCormick is also facing a separate federal criminal case in South Florida. In November, the Justice Department said a federal grand jury indicted her and co-defendants for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA funds, laundering the money, and using it to support her 2021 congressional campaign. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime.”

Cherfilus-McCormick denied the charges, calling the indictment “an unjust, baseless, sham indictment.” In the ethics case, she moved to dismiss and stay the proceedings, but the committee denied those requests before holding the March 26 hearing.

Full Ethics Hearing

Ranking Member Statement

Justice Statement on Criminal Charges

Cherfilus-McCormick Statement

Partial Government Shutdown

Saturday, March 28, 2026, marks day 42 of the partial government shutdown. Official member statements released on March 28 describe Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, and FEMA personnel as having gone without pay for the past 42 days.

In the Senate, lawmakers passed an amended version of H.R. 7147, the Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026. According to an official Senate statement released after passage, the Senate package would fund the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and customs officers at border checkpoints, while excluding ICE and the Border Patrol.

In the House, members had already passed H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act, on March 26. Then late Friday night, the House passed H. Res. 1142. According to the House floor summary, that action provided that the Senate amendment to H.R. 7147 would be considered agreed to with a further House amendment consisting of Rules Committee Print 119-21.

That means the House and Senate were still not on the same text. No final enacted agreement had been completed as of Saturday, and the shutdown remained in effect.

Both parties were still publicly blaming the other side.

Speaker Mike Johnson said in an official statement, For the Third Time, Democrats Pledge Their Allegiance to Criminal Illegal Aliens Over American Citizens. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans were holding TSA agents and air travelers hostage to their extreme immigration agenda. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said, For 26 days now, Democrats have left our country undefended.

Sen. Jack Reed, describing the Senate agreement, said, Now we finally have an overdue agreement that was on the table for weeks. Republicans gave up: There’s no money for ICE and nothing for Border Patrol. Rep. April McClain Delaney said House Republicans had again failed to end the shutdown and wrote that federal workers had worked without pay for the past 42 days.

Sources

Finance

Markets

Markets continued a 5 week slide this week. The Dow closed at 45166, a loss of 391 points or just under 1%. NASDAQ fell 699 points, a 3.23% loss and that index closed at 20,948. The S&P 500 lost 137 points, more than a 2% loss. At close Friday that index sat at 6368. Gold gained $32 and closed at $4524.

You can see that over the last 6 months, market indexes are down between 2 and 7% with current values down between 8 and almost 12% from their record highs in early February. Gold meanwhile has lost 14.6% from its apex but remains up more than 20% over the 6 month period.

  • Dow: down 2.3% from 46,247 on September 26, 2025 to 45,166
  • Nasdaq: down 6.8% from 22,484 to 20,948
  • S&P 500: down 4.1% from 6,643 to 6,368
  • Gold: up 20.3% from 3,760 to 4,524

So the broad story is: stocks were lower over the last six months, while gold moved sharply higher.

From peak to now

  • Dow: off 9.9% from its peak of 50,115
  • Nasdaq: off 11.7% from its peak of 23,724
  • S&P 500: off 8.6% from its peak of 6,966
  • Gold: off 14.6% from its peak of 5,296

Sports

MLB Opening Day

Major League Baseball kicked off on Wednesday night in San Francisco in a game that saw the Yankees plate 5 in the second inning and win 7-0. When they faced off again Friday, Aaron Judge started things off with a 2 run bomb in the 6th. Stanton followed with his own home run and the Yankees took game 2 3 to nothing. Most teams have only played 2 games so far, but the Dodgers and Yankees are both undefeated with 3 wins a piece. The white sox already have a -17 point differential while Milwaukee leads the majors at +17 after only 2 games.

Formula 1 Suzuka

Formula 1 is in Suzuka Japan this weekend. Drivers continue to complain about lack of speed after regulatory changes have significantly limited the cars. Alonso said It still hurts your soul when you see your speed dropping so much — 56 kph down the straight”. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc said “I honestly cannot stand these rules in qualifying”. 4 time world champion Max Verstappen called his car undrivable. Rookie Kimi Antonelli took pole for Mercedes, overshadowed by the regulatory changes. His teammate joined him on the front row with the Mclaren of Oscar Piastri starting third. Antonelli was able to win the race, taking a 9 point lead over his teammate George Russel and sitting on top of the driver’s standings. With Saudi Arabia and Bahrain cancelled, the next race is Miami on May 3.

NCAA March Madness

Finally, In College Basketball, number 1 seeds Duke and Arizona won their sweet 16 games against St. Johns an Arkansas respectively, advancing to the elite 8. 2 seed Purdue edged 11 seed Texas 79-77 and advanced to face Arizona. Purdue led Arizona by 7 at the half, but the Wildcats outscored the Boiler Makers 48-26 in the second half to advance to the final 4. 2 seed UCONN similarly snuck past Michigan state 67-63 and will face Duke tonight. In the South bracket, Iowa Beat Nebraska and 3 seed Illinois got past 2 seed Houston. Illinois defeated Iowa 71-59. 6 seeded Tennessee beat 2 seed Iowa State 76-62 to be the last SEC team in. The volunteers will face 1 seed Michigan who handled Alabama 90-77. Today’s games will lock in the final 4 matchups for April 4.

Rich Stephens

The Cold Take

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