US Airmen Rescued, Bruins Win, Whale Vs Windsurfer

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Adam Rogers
April 06, 2026

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US forces rescued both crew members of an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran. The pilot was recovered on Friday shortly after the plane went down. The second crew member, an injured Colonel, was pulled from inside Iran on Saturday after a CIA deception campaign confused Iranian forces long enough to locate and extract him.
The CIA told Iranian forces that the airman had already been found and was being moved to safety. While Iranian forces scrambled to respond, CIA operatives located him in a mountain crevice and alerted the Pentagon, which launched an immediate extraction. Iran had offered a $60,000 bounty for the American crew.
Iran claims two US Black Hawks and a C-130 were destroyed during the rescue — the US has not confirmed those losses. An A-10 Warthog supporting the mission was also struck by Iranian fire, with its pilot ejecting safely in Kuwait. The F-15E is the first confirmed US aircraft shot down inside Iran.

UCLA won its first NCAA women's basketball championship Sunday, routing South Carolina 79-51 in a dominant performance. The Bruins never trailed, building a double-digit lead after the first quarter and extending it throughout. The 28-point margin was the third-largest in women's title game history.
Senior Gabriela Jaquez led the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Lauren Betts, named Most Outstanding Player, added 14 points and 11 rebounds. South Carolina's three best players combined for just 15 points on 5-of-22 shooting. Coach Cori Close, in her 15th season at UCLA, credited a mentorship with the late John Wooden for guiding the program to its first NCAA title.
On the men's side Saturday, UConn outlasted Illinois 71-62 in a tight finish while Michigan routed Arizona 91-73. The two meet tonight for the national championship at 8:50 pm ET.

Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, celebrated his first Easter Mass yesterday before 50,000 faithful in St. Peter's Square. He called on world leaders to lay down arms and pursue peace through dialogue. Departing from tradition, Leo did not name the Iran war or Ukraine by name in his Urbi et Orbi blessing to the city and the world.
Leo quoted Pope Francis, who made his final public appearance from the same loggia last Easter before dying the following day. Leo has revived several traditions Francis let lapse, greeting the faithful in 10 languages and carrying the cross for all 14 stations on Good Friday. He announced a peace prayer vigil for April 11.
Beyond Rome, the wars reshaping the world intruded on Easter celebrations. In Tehran, Armenian Christians gathered at St. Sarkis Cathedral despite daily airstrikes. "They just need to feel normal," said one worshipper. In the Holy Land, the Western Wall blessing was limited to 50 people instead of tens of thousands.

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from forcing universities in 17 states to hand over seven years of admissions data. (More)

A drunk driver plowed into a Lao New Year parade in Broussard, Louisiana, Saturday, injuring at least 13 people, two critically. (More)

The State Department revoked green cards of two relatives of slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani this week, and immigration agents arrested them Friday ahead of deportation. (More)

Serbian police foiled a plot to bomb a Russian gas pipeline feeding Hungary, finding two backpacks of explosives just days before Hungarians vote in an election that could end Orbán's 16-year rule. (More)

Myanmar's junta leader Min Aung Hlaing became the country's president in a vote critics call a cynical rebrand, swapping his military uniform for a civilian title without changing who holds power. (More)

A French-owned cargo ship became the first Western vessel to cross the Strait of Hormuz since Iran choked off non-Iranian traffic in response to the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. (More)

US stock markets closed mixed on Friday (S&P +0.11%, Nasdaq +0.18%, Dow -0.13%). The Dow dropped after President Trump said the Iran war would continue for weeks. (More)

Hershey announced it will switch all Reese's and Hershey's products back to real milk chocolate by 2027, after the inventor's grandson went viral criticizing the company for using cheaper compound coatings. (More)

United Airlines is splitting its business class into budget and premium tiers this spring, letting travelers book lie-flat seats at lower prices but with fewer perks like lounge access and seat selection. (More)

The New York Islanders fired coach Patrick Roy on Sunday and hired Peter DeBoer with four games left, as New York's playoff spot slips after losing seven of their last ten games. (More)

Super Mario Galaxy Movie opened to $190 million over the Easter five-day weekend, the biggest domestic debut of 2026. (More)

Hollywood screenwriters and studios struck a surprise four-year deal Saturday covering better healthcare and AI protections, avoiding the kind of prolonged strike that shut down the industry in 2023. (More)

University of Toledo researchers built buoys that slowly release algae-killing hydrogen peroxide over weeks, wiping out nearly all toxic cyanobacteria in tests without repeated treatments. (More)

Scientists found three leading anti-aging interventions extend animal lifespans but spread out when deaths occur, meaning some individuals benefit far more than others. (More)

Tiny fish in the Congo have been filmed scaling a 50-foot waterfall, taking nearly 10 hours to climb it using hook-like fin projections to grip wet rock. (More)

Walking pace may be the best indicator of death.

Windsurfer collides with a whale in San Francisco Bay.

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