Oil prices retreated while Asian equities were mixed at the end of a volatile week as investor sentiment continued to be undermined by the conflict in the Middle East.
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Oil Retreats, Asian Equities Mixed as Middle East Attacks Continue
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: All-Rookie Team highlights the best prospect pickups for redraft leagues
The 2026 season is shaping up to be a banner one for rookies.
Normally when I put together the All-Rookie team for an upcoming season, it’s populated in large part by players who are more likely to arrive midseason than on opening day, making it questionable whether or not they’re deserving of your time in redraft leagues. But every single first-team player on the All-Rookie team this year — and most of their alternates — has a legitimate chance of making the cut. Most I would even say are favorites to do so.
Granted, I had to cheat a little. The usual cutoff for rookie eligibility is 130 major league at-bats for hitters and 50 major league innings for pitchers, and all of these players fall short of those thresholds. Some have technically lost their rookie eligibility, though, by spending too many days on the active roster. I’ve noted such cases below (and in doing so, probably used the word “technically” too much).
The focus here, just to reiterate, is redraft leagues. So much prospect coverage is geared toward dynasty play that even if you’re read up on prospects, you may be at loss for which ones can help you right now. Well, here they are, and most of them, at least to this point, are being undervalued in drafts.
That’s less true for the pitchers than the hitters.
Catcher
First base
Honorable mention: Charlie Condon, COL
Second base
Third base
Shortstop
Outfield
Designated hitter
Starting pitcher
Honorable mentions: Jonah Tong, NYM; Thomas White, MIA; JR Ritchie, ATL
Relief pitcher
Honorable mentions: Foster Griffin, WAS; Jack Perkins, ATH; Ryan Weiss, HOU
Hong Kong ex-media mogul Jimmy Lai will not appeal national security conviction, legal team says
HONG KONG — Hong Kong pro-democracy ex-publisher Jimmy Lai will not appeal the national security conviction for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison last month, his legal team said Friday.
Lai, an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily, was found guilty in December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiring with others to publish seditious articles.
His Hong Kong legal team told The Associated Press via a text message about the decision, which ends a yearslong legal battle. The lawyers would not comment on the reason for not appealing.
“We can confirm we have clear and definitive instructions not to lodge an appeal against conviction or sentence,” they said.
Observers say his conviction reflected the decline of press and other freedoms that has changed Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China’s control in 1997. The government insists the case has nothing to do with a free press, saying the defendants used news reporting as a pretext for years to commit acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.
Lai was one of the first prominent figures to be arrested under the security law in 2020. Within a year, some of Apple Daily’s senior journalists also were arrested, and the newspaper, known for its critical coverage of both the Beijing and Hong Kong governments, shut down in June 2021.
Lai is 78, and his lengthy sentence raised concerns that he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
After the sentencing, the children of Lai said a possible visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing could be crucial in securing the release of their father, a British citizen.
The White House has confirmed that Trump will travel to China on March 31 through April 2 to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping, although there is no official confirmation from Beijing so far.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said Lai was sentenced for exercising his right to freedom of expression and called on the Hong Kong authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have defended Lai’s sentencing, saying it reflected the spirit of the rule of law.
Last week, Lai won an appeal to quash his convictions and sentence in a separate fraud case, a rare victory in his legal battles.
That ruling could reduce his total prison time. But the government earlier said the Department of Justice would study the judgment thoroughly and consider whether to appeal.
Cooler weather briefly returns heading into the weekend
Temperatures will feel more like March again heading into the weekend. The cool down is short lived with warmer weather returning by early next week. Windy weather returned to New Mexico Thursday as southwest winds gusted over 35 mph in parts of the state. Those winds are bringing warmer and drier air, creating a critical […]
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STEVE BLANCO Of IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT To Release Piano-Driven Shadow Arc Suite
Steve Blanco, bassist, keyboardist, and composer for Imperial Triumphant, is set to self-release Shadow Arc Suite on March 10 – a three-movement work for piano and extreme ensemble.
Shadow Arc Suite is now available for digital pre-order via Bandcamp, with a virtual listening party planned for March 8.
Blanco‘s work stretches beyond traditional metal, merging the density and tension of extreme music with avant-garde composition and piano improvisation. The suite reflects his interest in cinematic soundscapes, architectural structures in music, and the creation of ritualistic intensity.
Blanco is widely recognized for his contributions to Imperial Triumphant, touring extensively across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. His solo endeavors continue this exploration, bridging jazz-influenced harmony, experimental contemporary composition, and improvisational techniques.
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Auto & Transport Roundup: Market Talk
Find insight on Wizz Air, DHL Group and more in the latest Market Talks covering the auto and transport sector.
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Lionel Messi, Inter Miami honored by Trump at White House
Inter Miami attended a White House reception on Thursday to celebrate winning MLS Cup for the first time in club history, with captain Lionel Messi presenting a gift to President Donald Trump.
Messi entered the East Room alongside Trump and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas and later handed the president a signature Miami pink soccer ball. Trump also received a Miami jersey and watch from Mas and head coach Javier Mascherano.
It was the first White House visit for Messi, who joined Miami in July 2023, and follows fellow soccer great — and longtime Messi rival — Cristiano Ronaldo attending a dinner there last November.
“We’re honoring truly talented people,” Trump said, while flanked by Messi and Mas with the rest of Miami’s squad behind him. “It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: ‘Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi.’
“My son said, ‘Dad, do you know who’s going to be there today?’ I said, ‘No, I got a lot of things going on.’ He said, ‘Messi.’
“He’s a big fan of yours. He thinks you’re just a great person. And I think you got to meet a little while ago. So he’s a big soccer fan, but he’s a tremendous fan of yours. And a gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great. You’re great.”
Miami lifted the 2025 MLS Cup on Dec. 6, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in Fort Lauderdale, and the Argentinian superstar was named the league’s MVP for the second consecutive season.
“Leo, you came in and you won, and that’s something very hard to do, very, very unusual and frankly, there’s a lot more pressure put on you than anyone would know, because you sort of expected to win, but almost nobody wins,” Trump said.
Among the other Inter Miami stars in attendance were Luis Suárez, Tadeo Allende and Rodrigo De Paul. MLS commissioner Don Garber sat next to Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup task force. Also attending were retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez and members of Trump’s cabinet.
Following the reception, Trump invited the team to the Oval Office.
The event follows the long-standing tradition in American sport of commemorating a championship with a White House reception.
D.C. United stand as the first MLS team to visit the White House in 1998 following their Cup triumph, and the LA Galaxy visited on multiple occasions by winning in 2011, 2012 and 2014.
Messi was first invited by the Joe Biden administration to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in early January 2025 but could not attend because of prior commitments.
During Thursday’s ceremony, Trump spoke about how he saw Brazilian great Pele play with the New York Cosmos. He looked to Messi: “You may be better than Pele,” then asked the crowd, “Who’s better?”
Mas said his team has “changed the culture of football in the United States of America forever.”
“We can play with the big boys, we can play with the heavyweights. Our league can be one of the top leagues in the world,” Mas said. “And it is this ability to dream, to persevere, to have no obstacles ahead of us, that we will continue to be successful. And hopefully, Mr. President, this is not our only visit here celebrating an MLS Cup championship.”
The MLS Cup win capped a swift rise for Inter Miami, who also count David Beckham as a co-owner, since starting play in 2020.
“This championship was very, very well deserved, greatly played, and you’re looking at one of the best teams on the face of the earth standing behind us,” Mas said. “And this all became possible because we dared to dream.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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New male lobo announced at the ABQ BioPark
A male Mexican wolf was recently welcomed at the ABQ BioPark.Park officials said the wolf, named Mittermeier, comes to the Albuquerque zoo after moving from the Stone Zoo in Massachusetts. Mittermeier is the tenth resident of the BioPark’s Mexican Wolf Conservation Facility.The newly-arrived wolf will be paired with a female mate as part of a new breeding program through a species survival plan.The Mexican wolf facility was completed in late 2025, according to the ABQ BioPark.Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
A male Mexican wolf was recently welcomed at the ABQ BioPark.
Park officials said the wolf, named Mittermeier, comes to the Albuquerque zoo after moving from the Stone Zoo in Massachusetts. Mittermeier is the tenth resident of the BioPark’s Mexican Wolf Conservation Facility.
The newly-arrived wolf will be paired with a female mate as part of a new breeding program through a species survival plan.
The Mexican wolf facility was completed in late 2025, according to the ABQ BioPark.
Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free
Reese Witherspoon Won Best Actress Oscar for ‘Walk the Line’
Reese Witherspoon was already a huge star by the time she accepted the role of June Carter Cash in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, but her performance in the film catapulted her career to new levels.
Witherspoon won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film on March 5, 2006.
Was Walk The Line Based on a Book?
Yes. Screenwriters Gill Dennis and James Mangold drew from two different Johnny Cash autobiographies when they co-wrote the script for Walk the Line; 1975’s Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words and 1997’s Cash: The Autobiography.
Their script explores some of the darker aspects of Cash’s early life and how that impacted him over time more completely than either book, including the childhood death of his brother, Jack, and his bitter estrangement from his father, Ray.
Mangold directed the film, which focuses on Cash’s struggles with fame and drugs, how that led to the dissolution of his first marriage and how he eventually turned his life around after falling in love with June Carter Cash, who would become his second wife.
READ MORE: Watch Johnny Cash’s Final Public Performance
He cast Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash, and their scenes together are the heart of the film, with him imbuing the legendary “Man in Black” with an endearing vulnerability that fans had never seen before, while she brings a harder, grittier edge to the character of June than her homespun persona hinted at in public.
Both Phoenix and Witherspoon provided the vocals for the electrifying concert sequences that were another highlight of Walk the Line, too, further cementing their performances.
How Did Walk The Line Do at the Box Office?
Released on Nov. 18, 2005, Walk the Line was a huge box office hit, earning $22.3 million in its opening weekend and going on to gross $186.4 million, making it the highest-grossing music biopic of all time at that time.
The film was also a critical hit, earning positive and sometimes rave reviews.
Phoenix won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and he also earned a nomination for Best Actor at the Academy Awards.
Witherspoon won Best Actress in the Academy Awards and gave an emotional speech, thanking her colleagues and calling the character of June ” a real woman. Who has dignity and honor and fear and courage, and she’s a real woman. And I really appreciate that.”
Walk the Line was also nominated in the categories of Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.
22 Pictures of Johnny Cash When He Was Young
Johnny Cash got his musical start in Memphis, Tenn., in the mid 1950s. He bravely walked into Sun Records and auditioned for Sam Phillips. Eventually, Cash was able to record a couple songs there and get a record deal, and the rest is history. Take a look back with 22 photos of Johnny Cash when he was young.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul