Four of the greatest tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, and Michael Chang, are set to compete in the Inaugural Pickleball Slam on April 2 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The competition is part of a multi-year partnership between the event's organizers and the Hard Rock, and the winner of the competition will receive a $1 million prize. Fans of tennis and pickleball alike will be tuning in to see who will be crowned the winner.
News Mash
President Joe Biden said Thursday that documents found at his home and former office were filed in the wrong place and that he has "no regrets" on the handling of them. He believes that the investigation will show that "there's no there there" and that he is "fully cooperating" with the resolution of the issue.
Germany and the United States are at odds over whether to send tanks to Ukraine ahead of a key meeting of western defense leaders in Germany on Friday, with the US wanting to send their M1 Abrams tanks and Germany wanting to send their Leopard tanks. The Biden administration is hoping to find a way to break the impasse and reach a compromise between the two sides before the meeting of defense leaders. Defense officials say one priority of Friday's Ukraine Defense Contact Group is pressuring Germany to give or allow other countries to commit German-made leopard tanks to Ukraine.
David Crosby, two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, has passed away at the age of 81. His wife, Jan Dance, confirmed the news in a statement, saying that he had been ill for some time and had announced his retirement from live performances eight months ago. His influence on the music industry has been immense, and his death has been met with an outpouring of grief from the music community.
The Florida Department of Education's Office of Articulation has blocked the introduction of a new Advanced Placement course for high school students on African American studies, citing that it is "inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value." Education advocates have argued that such courses are essential for students to gain a better understanding of the history of the United States, sparking a debate about the importance of providing students with access to courses that focus on African American studies. The College Board has yet to respond to the letter from the Office of Articulation, and it remains to be seen whether the course will be allowed to move forward.
Netflix announced Thursday that its co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings is stepping down from his post, to be succeeded by co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters. After 25 years of leading the company, Hastings will remain as executive chairman, confident that Sarandos and Peters will be able to continue the success of the streaming video service.
The Federal Reserve is signaling that it will continue to raise interest rates, despite signs of slowing economic activity and inflation. At a press conference, Vice Chair Lael Brainard noted that inflation is still high and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said the policy rate may need to go higher than 5%. The Fed will discuss the policy rate at their upcoming meeting and monitor economic activity and inflation to determine the appropriate rate.
Disabled veteran Richard Osthoff has accused newly-elected Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) of stealing $3,000 meant to pay for life-saving surgery for his service dog. Osthoff has provided evidence that Santos was in contact with him and was aware of the situation, and the case has been referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for further investigation. Osthoff has started a new GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of Sapphire's surgery, and has raised over $2,000 so far.