March Madness Final, solar eclipse, and a super bloom.

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Big Stories

NCAA Women’s March Madness

After losing to Iowa In last year’s Final Four, the South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Hawkeyes 87-75 in the women's NCAA tournament title game.

• With the win, South Carolina capped their undefeated season (38-0), making them only the 10th team in Division I history to do so. Coach Dawn Staley secured her third national title.

• Final Four Most Outstanding Player Kamilla Cardoso led the Gamecocks with 15 points and 17 rebounds in the championship game. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark scored 30 points, including a championship-record 18 in the first quarter, but struggled to get going in the second half. The deciding factor was South Carolina’s dominance from their bench players, who outscored Iowa’s backups 37-0.

• Perhaps the tournament's biggest storyline is the exposure the female stars brought to women’s college basketball.

• On Friday night, the Hawkeyes' 71-69 victory over the UConn Huskies in the Final Four drew an average of 14.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s basketball game and the largest viewership for an ESPN basketball broadcast.

• So far this year, only one men's NCAA Tournament game had higher viewership: North Carolina State's win over Duke in the men's Elite Eight on CBS averaged 15.1 million.

Solar Eclipse

Today’s total solar eclipse will traverse Mexico's Pacific coast to Newfoundland in Canada.

• The eclipse should last almost twice as long as the 2017 eclipse and will be visible over major cities like Dallas, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.

• In a total solar eclipse, the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sunlight. The full eclipse will last longer than usual because the moon will be closer to Earth — it is expected to last for 4 minutes and 28 seconds in some areas. An estimated 44 million people live within the path of totality and a couple hundred million more will see a partial eclipse, making it the continent's biggest eclipse crowd ever.

• During the totality, viewers may also see a comet along with four planets: Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Mars. The next total solar eclipse in the US won’t occur until 2033.

Mexico breaks off diplomatic ties with Ecuador after embassy raid

Mexico cut diplomatic ties with Ecuador after law enforcement raided the Mexican Embassy in Quito and arrested former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas.

• Glas, who served as Ecuador's vice president from 2013 to 2017, was removed from office on corruption allegations and sentenced to six years in jail for bribery from a Brazilian construction company. Following his release from prison in November, Ecuador issued another arrest warrant against Glas, which prompted him to seek refuge in Mexico’s embassy.

• Ecuador's decision to break into the embassy was based on President Noboa's concerns over Glas' potential flight risk and the belief that asylum couldn't be granted to someone convicted of common crimes.

• Many leaders and organizations, including the US, condemned the raid, citing violations of diplomatic agreements and international law. Mexico’s foreign relations secretary said Mexican diplomats were injured in the raid and announced plans to bring the case to the International Court of Justice.

Little Stories

• Six months after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the Gaza war remains in limbo. Despite threats to attack Rafah, major military operations are paused, with sporadic raids and negotiations for hostage release ongoing. Calls for a ceasefire persist, but Prime Minister Netanyahu remains confident in an Israeli victory. (More)

• A ticket sold in Oregon won the $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot, marking the eighth-largest US lottery prize ever and the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot. The cash lump-sum option for the April 6 drawing is $621 million. (More)

• A federal judge in California ruled that the government is responsible for the well-being of migrant children awaiting processing at makeshift camps along the US-Mexico border. US District Judge Dolly Gee ordered federal agents to stop holding minors in open-air sites and expedite their transfer to more suitable facilities. (More)

• Elon Musk announced Friday that Tesla will unveil a robotaxi this summer. Details were not provided, but Musk's post on X indicated the reveal would happen on Aug. 8. Tesla shares surged over three percent in after-market trading following the announcement. (More)

• A man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly starting a fire at Senator Bernie Sanders' Vermont office. The suspect, identified as Shant Soghomonian, 35, has been charged with using fire to damage the building. No one inside the office was harmed during the incident. (More)

Extra Credit

Americans believe they now need $1.5M to retire comfortably. 

California’s wildflower super bloom returns.

US cities with the highest pollen counts.

Watch: A Darwin’s Bark Spider shoots a 25-meter-long web.