BOSSIER CITY, La. -- Louisiana Tech football made it to Bossier City Tuesday evening for their "Red River Run Through" as the Bulldogs continue spring practice.
Several local players have been on the roster for years like long snapper and former Loyola Flyer, Ean Burch.
"It's always awesome to come back and let your family and friends come out here and see what a day in our life looks like. Oftentimes they don't really know what goes on unless it's Saturday," Burch said. "It's nice to get out here and see people that we don't see every day and that are Tech fans."
Others are newcomers like running back and former North DeSoto Griffin, Kenny Thomas.
"It's kind of a surreal feeling. You know, since I'm technically still supposed to be in high school, seeing some of my peers out here when I'm practicing for college," Thomas said. "I'm just taking it in, making the most of every moment and trying to earn my dues. I'm just grateful for the position I'm in right now."
Louisiana Tech's spring game is Saturday in Ruston.
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump was rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday night after shots were fired at the event.
The Boston Red Sox on Saturday fired their World Series-winning head coach Alex Cora following a disappointing start to the Major League Baseball season.
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BREAKING: Shots fired at White House Correspondents dinner where Trump attended
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump was rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday night after shots were fired at the event.
The White House said Trump is unharmed and the person who fired the shots is in custody, but no further details were released.
The Center Square's White House Bureau Chief Sarah Roderick-Fitch was in attendance at the event and said she heard a loud noise before attendees started screaming. Secret Service agents then stormed the room and began escorting people out, Roderick-Fitch said.
Roderick-Fitch said she saw Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being escorted out as well. She also said members of Trump's Cabinet were taken to a safe area, but they are returning to the event.
Senior Congressional Correspondent for Scripps News Nathaniel Reed, posted on social media the White House pool report from Jeff Mordock that said “there was several loud bangs and the Secret Service with guns drawn rushed the pool out of the room.”
The event took place in the Washington, D.C. Hilton, less than 2 miles from the White House.
This is a developing story.
Mizzou track and field ends final day of Drake Relays with five third-place finishes
Dylan Heinrich, Columbia Missourian
Mizzou track and field wrapped up the Drake Relays on Saturday with a handful of podium finishes.
Marlena Tresnjo set a new personal record in the high jump championship, taking home third with a height of six feet, zero inches. Trensjo’s mark tied the fifth best in Mizzou program history.
Petra Gombas placed third in the hammer throw with a new personal best of 194-0. Reagan Kimrey placed eighth in the same event at 181-1.
In the women’s javelin throw, Adrienne Russell ended the meet in third with a distance of 148-2. Fellow Tiger Marysa Flieg placed right behind her in fourth after a throw of 146-10. Val Gilligan earned fifth in the women’s javelin throw with a mark of 150-6. Morgan Cannon placed right behind her in sixth with a distance of 150-4.
Robert Hines finished third in the men’s 100-meter finals with a time of 10.55 seconds. The team of Lasse Funck, Dillon Leacock, Finn Russell and Carter Spradling took home bronze in the men’s distance medley relay at 9 minutes, 43.28 seconds.
In the men’s hammer throw championship, Sam Innes ended the event in fourth after throwing a distance of 225-4.
Mizzou will close out the regular season at the Rock Chalk Classic on Friday and Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas.
Boston Red Sox fire coach Alex Cora
AFP AFP
The Boston Red Sox on Saturday fired their World Series-winning head coach Alex Cora following a disappointing start to the Major League Baseball season.
Cora, who led Boston to glory in his debut season in 2018, departs with the Red Sox in last place in the American League East division with a 10-17 record.
Since Cora's victorious first season, the Red Sox -- one of Major League Baseball's most decorated sides -- have only reached the post-season on two occasions.
"Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude," said Red Sox principal owner John Henry.
"He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways."
"These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived."
Cora, 50, is the first Puerto Rican coach to win a World Series.
His tenure as Red Sox manager consisted of two stints.
He parted ways with Boston in January 2020 following his implication in a sign-sealing scandal during his previous role as Houston Astros bench coach.
Houston had used illicit technology including a video camera to pick up opposing catchers' signs to pitchers about what sort of ball would be thrown next to Astros batters.
Cora was re-hired by Boston when his MLB suspension ended in November 2020. The Red Sox then reached the American League Championship Series in 2021.
Despite the Red Sox's dire start to the season, Cora's sacking came just hours after a thumping 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Five other members of Cora's coaching team were also fired.
amz/bb
Gonzalez mutes No. 24 Razorbacks in 6-1 series finale win, ends losing skid
Amber Winkler, Columbia Missourian
Feet planted in the batter's box, Missouri outfielder Pierre Seals swung his bat. He slowly took a few steps towards first base, doing more watching than walking. He observed as the ball carried 435 feet and over the wall in deep left center.
“I knew I got it,” Seals said. “I was just trying to see how far it was going to go to be honest.”
With power in the bats and a dominant performance on the mound from Keyler Gonzalez, Mizzou baseball defeated No. 24 Arkansas 6-1 for the first time in over four years on Saturday. The win helped the Tigers avoid another series sweep and break a nine-game losing skid.
Mizzou also earned its first home Southeastern Conference win since May 10, 2024, against Auburn.
“We played good baseball,” Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said.
The night before Mizzou showcased the capability of its offense, Jackson said that his team was “allergic to hits.” Game 2 of the series made it seem so, as Mizzou recorded just two hits and was shut out by the Razorbacks.
The series finale told a different story.
The Tigers had equaled their hit totals within the first two batters of the game and pounced for a three-run first. After leading off with hits from Jase Woita and Kam Durnin, Arkansas starter Colin Fisher walked Blaize Ward and hit Mateo Serna to plate the first run. The next two batters, Kaden Peer and Donovan Jordan, brought in two more runs on a fielder’s choice and an RBI groundout.
Following Seals’ home run in the second, Eric Maisonet nailed a solo shot of his own straight right in front of the scoreboard in left. Unlike Seals' homer, Maisonet’s barely eclipsed the wall for the third baseman’s third home run of the season.
“Eric’s got sneaky power,” Jackson said. “Right before he went to the plate, I told him ‘Hey man, catch a ball out front, hit it into the bullpen.’”
As Maisonet was rounding the basepaths, third base coach Jose Carballo pointed to Jackson and laughed. He hit it a bit to the right of the bullpen, but he did just that.
The Tigers performed better at the plate on Saturday, stringing together hits and making adjustments mid at-bat to bring runs home. Mizzou swatted eight hits and walked three times in the game.
Missouri also commanded the Razorbacks with strong pitching. Lefty Javyn Pimental was originally slated to start and make his second appearance since returning from injury, but he was shut down and ruled out for the finale. Mizzou pivoted to freshman righty JD Dohrmann, who was also recently injured and making his return after nearly a month of absence.
Dohrmann put Arkansas down in order in the first, but he was halted after a lead-off walk in the second. Pitching coach Drew Dickinson and Mizzou’s trainer made their way to the mound and opted to remove Dohrmann.
The Tigers then turned to righty Gonzalez for the long haul of the game. Inning after inning, Gonzalez came to the mound and kept Arkansas from scoring. He did it for five innings, only giving up two hits and striking out five to earn the win for the game.
“The little things mean a big deal to him and some of those things we take for granted,” Jackson said. “He takes nothing for granted.”
This was the Cuban-born pitcher’s second win of the week, as he officially became a citizen of the United States on Friday.
“It was a long process,” Gonzalez said. “But being able to become a U.S. citizen, it’s great. This country has given me everything, so I’m super happy and proud to be an American now.”
The momentum from Gonzalez’s shutout carried over to Juan Villarreal, who entered in the seventh and kept the shutout going until the ninth. He pitched three innings on the mound, striking out the side in the eighth.
He ran into trouble in the ninth, loading the bases and allowing one run to cross on a fielder’s choice to end the shutout. Sam Rosand came into the game and struck out the final batter to secure the win.
Mizzou (21-23, 4-17 SEC) will travel across the state to face Southeast Missouri State at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Cape Girardeau.
Highway bomb attack kills 10 ahead of Colombia election
Alba SANTANA AFP
A highway bomb attack in a restive region of southwestern Colombia killed 10 people and injured at least a dozen on Saturday, the latest spate of violence ahead of next month's presidential election.
Authorities blamed the attack in the Cauca department -- a conflict-ridden, coca-growing region -- on dissidents of the now-disbanded FARC guerrilla army, who have been sowing violence across the country.
"Those who carried out this attack... are terrorists, fascists and drug traffickers," President Gustavo Petro said on X.
"I want our very best soldiers to confront them," he added.
The leftist leader blamed the bombing on Ivan Mordisco, the South American country's most-wanted criminal, whom he has compared to late cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar.
The explosion Saturday left "10 dead and 12 seriously injured. However, the toll is expected to rise significantly," a local fire department official told AFP.
A police source said rescuers were searching for several missing people.
Cauca Governor Octavio Guzman shared a video on social media that showed victims on the ground and destroyed vehicles in the aftermath of the bombing.
Other social media posts detailed extensive damage and craters in the roadway, with witnesses claiming the blast was so strong that they were knocked back several meters.
- Political violence -
The violence came after a bomb attack Friday on a military base in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, injured two people and set off a string of attacks in the Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments.
According to military chief Hugo Lopez, 26 attacks have been recorded in the two departments over the past two days.
Authorities have boosted the military and police presence in the areas, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said Saturday.
Colombia has a history of armed groups -- which finance their operations through drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion -- attempting to influence elections through violence.
FARC remnants who rejected a 2016 peace deal with the government have been actively trying to disrupt stalled peace talks with Petro.
Security is one of the central issues of the May 31 presidential election. Political violence was brought into sharp focus last June, when young conservative presidential frontrunner Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot in broad daylight while campaigning in the capital Bogota.
Leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, an architect of Petro's controversial policy of negotiating with armed groups, is ahead in polls, trailed by right-wing candidates Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia.
All three have reported receiving death threats and are campaigning under heavy security.
als/hdz/acb/mlm
Korda's lead shrinks to five at LPGA Chevron
AFP AFP
Nelly Korda tied the 54-hole scoring record but saw her lead reduced to five strokes with a third-round 70 at the LPGA Chevron Championship on Saturday.
The world number two had been rampant across the first couple of days at Houston's Memorial Park, firing consecutive rounds of 65.
And Korda got off to an explosive start again Saturday with four birdies on the opening six holes, including a precision eight-iron off the tee on the second hole to within tap-in distance of the pin.
But just as the first women's major of the year threatened to become a procession, the 27-year-old American did not make another birdie all day.
Korda played the rest of her round two-over par, consistently finding greens but failing to convert her putts, to finish 16-under par and give the distant pack a hint of a chance.
"I mean, the front nine was great," said Korda.
"But yeah, I missed that putt on the par-five eighth, and then kind of just slowed down since.
"And all my misses with my putts were right, so I'm going to go to the putting green after.
"Just got to reset and hopefully it goes my way tomorrow."
Korda reached the turn seven strokes clear of her closest rival, Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit, who had managed two birdies on the front nine, curling in a long putt on the sixth.
Both golfers bogeyed the tricky 13th -- Patty's first bogey of the entire tournament.
But the lead shrank back to five strokes as Patty's pinpoint pitch on 14 gave her a straightforward birdie, followed by another on 16, for a round of 69.
China's Yin Ruoning scored a bogey-free 66 -- the joint-best of the day -- to finish her round on 10-under par, alongside France's Pauline Rossin-Bouchard, who had started the day with three straight birdies.
Korda is seeking her second Chevron crown in three seasons, knowing a win would propel her to the top of the world rankings after incumbent Jeeno Thitikul missed the cut.
Korda captured the season-opening LPGA Tournament of Champions and finished second in her other three starts this year.
Her 16-under-par 200 after three rounds matches Jennifer Kupcho's Chevron Championship record, set four years ago.
Patty's only major win to date is also the Chevron, then known as the ANA Inspiration, back in 2021.
amz/js
Favored Renegade draws inside post for Kentucky Derby
AFP AFP
Oddsmakers favorite Renegade drew the dreaded inside post on Saturday for next weekend's 152nd Kentucky Derby, a position that has not produced a Derby winner since 1986.
Renegade was still fancied at 4-1 for next Saturday's 1.25-mile showdown at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, in the opening event of US flat racing's Triple Crown.
Commandment, starting from the sixth spot, and Further Ado, going out from the 18th gate of 20, were next at 6-1 odds with Chief Wallabee priced at at 8-1 out of the 12th gate.
Renegade is owned by Mike Repole, who is 0-8 with prior Derby entries. The 57-year-old American businessman's horse won last month's Arkansas Derby to secure a prime spot among contenders entering the Run for the Roses.
Not since Ferdinand took the victory 40 years ago has a starter from along the rail taken the Derby triumph.
Veteran trainer Todd Pletcher hopes Renegade could become his third Derby winner after Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017.
Renegade has been ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., a Puerto Rican jockey who rode Triple Crown race winners in 2016 and 2022 at the Belmont Stakes.
This year's Triple Crown also features the Preakness on May 16 and June's Belmont.
The Preakness will be run at Laurel Park in Maryland as Pimlico Race Course undergoes renovations while the Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga for the third and final year due to renovations at Belmont Park.
js/bb
What is Signal and is it secure?
AFP AFP
Signal, an end-to-end encrypted messaging app long considered one of the most secure in the world, has recently faced attacks from hackers accused of links to Russia.
Top German officials on Saturday blamed Moscow-backed groups for phishing attacks targeting senior politicians on the messaging app, raising questions about how secure Signal really is.
Similar phishing cases have been reported by Dutch and American users, with Google in February sounding the alarm over cyberattacks from Russia-aligned groups.
But what makes Signal different from other messaging apps, and how could one of the world's most secure messaging apps be so widely targeted?
- How does it work? -
Signal's end-to-end encryption means that any sent message travels in a scrambled form and can only be deciphered by the end user.
Nobody in between -- not the company providing the service, not the internet provider, nor hackers intercepting the message -- can read the content because they don't have the keys to unlock it.
Signal is not the only messaging service to do this, but unlike WhatsApp and Apple's iMessage, the app is controlled by an independent non-profit -- not a big tech behemoth motivated by revenue. That has won it more trust with those concerned about privacy.
Signal also goes further than WhatsApp on data privacy, making metadata such as when the message was delivered and its recipient invisible even to the company itself.
And WhatsApp shares information with its parent company Meta and third parties, including phone numbers, mobile device information, and IP addresses.
For these reasons, Signal has long been a go-to messaging service for users particularly concerned about communications secrecy, such as people working in security professions, journalists, and their sources.
- Who owns Signal? -
Founded in 2012, Signal is owned by the Mountain View, California-based Signal Foundation.
Its history is linked to WhatsApp: the site was founded by cryptographer and entrepreneur Moxie Marlinspike, with an initial $50 million from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton.
Both Signal and WhatsApp, which was bought by Mark Zuckerberg in 2014, are based on the same protocol built by Marlinspike.
"We're not tied to any major tech companies, and we can never be acquired by one either," Signal's website reads. Development is mainly supported by grants and donations.
Very outspoken compared to other Silicon Valley bosses, Signal's president is Meredith Whittaker, who spent years working for Google and is a fierce critic of business models built on the extraction of personal data.
- Was Signal hacked? -
Signal's encryption itself has not been broken.
Cyberattackers accused of Russian links did not target the encryption system directly.
Instead, recent attacks relied on phishing -- tricking users into handing over access to their accounts.
The attacks work by sending messages purporting to come from Signal support, like fake security alerts or invites to join group chats.
Once users click on these links or enter sensitive account information, attackers can then gain access to messages and chat groups.
This means hackers gain access to data shared on Signal and can also impersonate the person whose account was compromised.
Signal did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the recent attacks.
arp-bur/jj/rh/acb
Reiss edges Wiley for Drake title in year's best outdoor mile
AFP AFP
Annika Reiss overtook fellow American Addy Wiley at the finish to win the women's mile in 4mins 25.52secs, a 2026 world outdoor best, at the 116th Drake Relays on Saturday.
Wiley led most of the way but settled for second by 0.44 of a second at Drake University Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Reiss beat the 4:34.33 run by Argentina's Micaela Levaggi two weeks ago for the year's top outdoor time.
"It can really build my confidence," Reiss said. "Confidence is definitely something I struggle with so being able to compete at this level and take the win sets me up for a really good outdoor season. I'm really excited."
American Jamal Britt, who set the 2026 world lead in the men's 110m hurdles three weeks ago with a 13.07-second win in Florida, took the Drake title in the event in 13.22 with compatriot Jamar Marshall Jr. second in 13.31, both running into a 0.4 m/sec headwind.
"The goal was always to come out here and win and move on to the next," Britt said. "I was trying to knock (the world best) down a bit, but I was pretty close."
American Roger Steen, on the world indoor podium the past two years, defended his men's shot put crown with a heave of 21.93m.
Nigerian Chuk Enekwechi was second at 21.74 with Jamaican Rajindra Campbell, third at the Paris Olympics, third on 21.72.
American C.J. Allen won the men's 400 hurdles in 48.94 seconds in his outdoor season debut.
"It felt good," Allen said. "I was very smooth and I executed really well."
American Cooper Cawthra won the men's 1,500m in 3:35.22 with France's Titouan Le Grix second in 3:36.11.
American Shamier Little, a two-time world runner-up, won the 400m hurdles in 54.72, beating a personal best 54.90 for second-place compatriot Amiya Garozzo.
American Alia Armstrong, fourth in the 2022 worlds, won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.77 seconds.
"I just want to show everybody I belong here and I'm here to stay," she said.
js/bb
Magic hold off Pistons for 2-1 series lead
AFP AFP
The Orlando Magic fended off a late rally by the top-seeded Detroit Pistons to take a surprise 2-1 lead in their NBA playoff series on Saturday.
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane top-scored for Orlando with 25 points apiece as the eighth-seeded Magic pulled off a stirring 113-105 win in front of their home crowd.
Victory had briefly seemed in doubt after Orlando's 17-point fourth-quarter lead was erased in a powerful late showing by Cade Cunningham, who led all scorers with 27 points.
But having nudged into a single-point lead with three minutes remaining, Detroit did not score again and Orlando closed out the win with a 9-0 run.
With barely 30 seconds remaining, Banchero's three-point effort bounced off the heel, looped up in the air and dropped straight through the net to seal the win.
Banchero added 12 rebounds and nine assists, while Bane matched the Orlando playoff record with seven three-pointers.
"We know how we stack up. We know what we got in this locker room. And so we don't fear them," Banchero said.
Orlando are the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference playoffs, having barely crept in with a last-gasp play-in win over the Charlotte Hornets.
They will have a chance to extend their lead when they host game four on Monday, before the teams travel back to Detroit.
The Pistons comfortably topped the East with a 60-22 regular season record. But they now find themselves needing to win three of the four possible remaining games to avoid elimination.
"We got a lot of respect. We just want to bring it on Monday," said Banchero.
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