Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,126 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• WWII soldier finally laid to rest at home

• Nevada man arrested for having seven tigers

• Friendlier bullfighting in France

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Big Story

Gators Win NCAA Title

Florida overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Houston 65-63 in the national championship game.

• The Gators rallied their way through the late stages of the tournament. They are the first champion in 20 years to come from at least nine points down in the Elite Eight, Final Four, and title game. The victory is Florida's third national championship and first since 2007.

• Houston's top-ranked defense held star guard Walter Clayton Jr. scoreless in the first half, but he came alive when it mattered most, finishing with 11 points and seven assists to earn Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors.

• Todd Golden, at just 39 years old, became the youngest head coach to win a national championship since Jim Valvano in 1983. Florida is the first SEC school to bring home the title since Kentucky in 2012.

• Houston's typically reliable offensive strengths—3-point shooting and offensive rebounding—faltered. The Cougars shot just 2-for-14 from behind the arc in the first half and didn’t convert any second-chance points despite grabbing six offensive rebounds.

Big Story

Israel Expands in Gaza

Israel now controls over 50% of Gaza, having expanded its military presence since resuming operations last month.

• This includes a newly enlarged "buffer zone" along the border that has pushed up to 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) into Gaza territory. Satellite images show once-populated neighborhoods in these areas reduced to rubble.

• Israeli soldiers speaking anonymously to AP described systematic destruction within the buffer zone, saying they were ordered to demolish farms, homes, and infrastructure to prevent militants from hiding.

• Prime Minister Netanyahu recently announced plans for another corridor cutting across southern Gaza to isolate Rafah, and stated that even after Hamas is defeated, "Israel will keep security control in Gaza and push Palestinians to leave."

• Peace progress has completely stalled. Israel said it won't stop until all 59 remaining hostages are freed, while Hamas insists it will only release hostages with a permanent end to the conflict.

Big Story

Pearl Harbor Sailor Home After 84 Years

After nearly 84 years, US Navy Mess Attendant 3rd Class Neil D. Frye has finally been laid to rest at home in North Carolina.

• The 20-year-old sailor died aboard the USS West Virginia during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, when Japanese torpedoes struck the battleship, claiming 106 crewmen among the 2,000+ Americans killed that day.

• On April 3—what would have been Frye's 104th birthday—he received full military honors, and a posthumous Purple Heart Medal at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery. His 87-year-old sister Mary, the last living sibling of 10, represented the family.

• For decades, Frye's family never gave up hope of finding him and his mother searched for him in crowds wherever she went. Meanwhile, his remains lay among the unidentified at Hawaii's "Punchbowl" cemetery until 2017, when the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred 35 unknown sailors for modern analysis.

• Scientists used dental and anthropological analysis along with DNA testing to finally identify Frye in September 2024. A rosette now marks his name on the Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, indicating he has been found.

Quick Stories

US News

• The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to New York's gun restrictions Monday, maintaining bans on concealed firearms in "sensitive locations" and requirements for "good moral character" to obtain carry licenses. (More)

• President Trump threatened China with an additional 50% tariffs by Wednesday if it doesn't rescind retaliatory measures. The White House later clarified this would bring the total to 104%. (More)

• Police arrested a 71-year-old Nevada man who claimed seven tigers seized from his home were "emotional support animals." He lacked proper permits and allegedly walked the tigers loose on and off his property. (More)

World

• Australia's opposition leader Peter Dutton abandoned his promise to end public servants' work-from-home options after facing backlash. He admitted the mistake on Monday. (More)

• Torrential rains in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, killed 33 people. Flooding is common along the Congo River, however, it recently reached its highest level in six decades. (More)

• MSF doctors diagnosed six young children with moderate to severe acute malnutrition in Samos' migrant facility in Greece. MSF said pediatric care remains insufficient despite children making up 25% of the camp’s population. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Monday (S&P -0.23%, Nasdaq +0.10%, Dow -0.91%). During Monday's session, markets whipped up and down driven by speculation of tariff pauses circulated on social media. (More)

• Bitcoin trimmed losses Monday after dropping over $10,000 during the weekend. Its Price fell to $78,146, recovering from an earlier $74,420 low. It is still down 28% from January's peak. (More)

• Trump's reciprocal tariffs could force Apple to raise iPhone 16 Pro Max prices by $350, according to UBS analysts. It would be a nearly 30% increase on the current $1,199 price for China-manufactured units. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• "A Minecraft Movie" set some records with $163 million in its opening weekend. It is the biggest domestic debut of 2025 and the best-ever opening for any video game adaptation in history. (More)

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. agreed to a 14-year, $500 million contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays Sunday night, pending a physical. The no-deferral deal will keep him with the Jays for his entire career. (More)

• President Trump welcomed Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and the champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House Monday, congratulating them for winning last season's World Series. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Serious invasive group A strep infections have doubled in the US from 2013 to 2022 affecting 8 out of every 100,000 people, the CDC reports. Unlike common strep throat, the infections spread to typically germ-free areas like the lungs or bloodstream. (More)

• New research links early-life hardships to weaker brain connections in teenagers, potentially reducing cognitive ability, though positive parenting/supportive environments may provide protection. (More)

• A day on Uranus just got longer. Scientists determined Uranus takes 17 hours, 14 minutes, and 52 seconds to rotate - 28 seconds longer than Voyager 2's estimate in 1980. (More)

Extra Credit

🐂 France’s friendlier form of bullfighting.

🤖 Can AI replace CEOs of major companies?

🧼 How often you should clean everything in your house.

🐧 How an island of Penguins ended up on the US tariff list.