MON SIX

Jackson, a Greenville native and trailblazer in the American Civil Rights Movement, died on Feb. 17 at 84. His casket, draped with the American flag, arrived at the statehouse on March 2 for his second lying in state, the first of which happened in Chicago.

More:Jesse Jackson, towering icon of civil rights, dies following lengthy illness

Aaron Brown, a retired Air Force officer, traveled from Barnesville, Georgia, to pay his respects to Jackson. Brown joined the Air Force a month before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, and he said Jackson inspired his military service.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering civil rights icon who battled alongside Martin Luther King Jr., negotiated global hostage releases, and shamed corporations for their lack of corporate diversity and failure to support voting rights, has died. He was 84. Jackson was hospitalized on Nov. 12 following a lengthy battle with the neuromuscular disease progressive supranuclear palsy, a condition similar to Parkinson's disease.

See his journey and path to politics in photos.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Reverend Jesse Jackson (C) leads demonstrators down State Street to protest the death of Laquan McDonald and the alleged cover-up that followed on Dec. 6, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke shot and killed 17-year-old McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014, hitting him with 16 bullets. Van Dyke was charged with murder more than a year after the shooting after a judge ordered the release to the public of a video which showed McDonald backing away from Van Dyke while being shot.

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Jesse Jackson dies at 84. Follow his journey to civil rights leader

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering civil rights icon who battled alongside Martin Luther King Jr., negotiated global hostage releases, and shamed corporations for their lack of corporate diversity and failure to support voting rights,has died. He was 84. Jackson was hospitalized on Nov. 12 following a lengthy battle with the neuromuscular disease progressive supranuclear palsy, a condition similar to Parkinson's disease.See his journey and path to politics in photos.

At the order of Gov. Henry McMaster, flags above the statehouse flew at half-staff in windy, overcast skies ahead of a day of memorial services in honor of American Civil Rights Movement trailblazer Jackson. An Allen University choir sang out as Jackson's casket arrived at the statehouse and was carried into the building as family watched, teary-eyed.

More:Childhood friends grieve Jesse Jackson: 'It hit me like losing a brother'

Jackson was born in Greenville, and the seeds of his legacy in the Civil Rights Movement were planted in the Upstate when he organized protests that would lead to the desegregation of the Greenville Public Library. State Sen. Karl Allen, D-Greenville, State Rep. Chandra Dillard, D-Greenville, and Greenville Mayor Knox White traveled to the state capitol building to honor Jackson's legacy on March 2 – a day of ceremony to commemorate his work.

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"You could always tell when he was in the room," Dillard said. "Some days he was loud and proud, but other times, he was soft and mesmerizing."

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, a Democrat, also attended and recalled fond memories of him and his lifelong friend. According to Clyburn, they attended rival South Carolina high schools and played against each other during the high school football season. They grew their friendship over the years, and Jackson's mother even helped Clyburn launch his political career.

"This is a friendship that spanned generations," Clyburn said.

Jackson will lie in state at the South Carolina State House until 5:30 p.m., when the South Carolina Highway Patrol will escort his casket out of the statehouse. Public visitation, when visitors will be able to pay their respects to Jackson, will be from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The civil rights icon had previously lain in state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27. He will next be honored in Chicago on March 6 for the People's Celebration at House of Hope.

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News:Rev. Jesse Jackson honored at South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia

The Miami-Dade County panel had beendeliberating since Thursday, weighing whether Jones gunned down Pata outside the victim's apartment on Nov. 7, 2006.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have received your note indicating that you continue to be a deadlock," Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda said, "and so at this time, I will declare a mistrial and a hung jury."

Pata's mother was visibly upset and put her hands over her face after hearing the mistrial declared.

"It's disappointing," the victim's brother Edwin Pata told reporters outside court. "It's frustrating really, for all of us, of course, especially my mom, for every single sibling and every person that came out and supported us."

Prosecutors said the state intends to retry the case and Judge Miranda told attorneys to look at their calendars so she can set a new trial date on Tuesday.

The tally of the jury's vote, whether it leaned more toward guilt or acquittal, was not disclosed in open court.

Judge Miranda thanked jurors for their work, even if it didn't end in a verdict.

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"I know it's been a long couple of weeks," Miranda said. "I know you all put your heart and soul into it, and you were here for very long hours listening to all of the evidence. So we appreciate your work now."

At the time of his death, the 22-year-old Pata was an up-and-coming defensive lineman on the Miami Hurricanes who was considered an NFL prospect. Jones, a little-used wide receiver and occasional punt returner, was jealous of Pata's success and popularity, prosecutors said.

Jones wasarrested on Aug. 19, 2021, about three months short of the 15th anniversary of Pata's slaying.

This unsolved slayinghad hung over the powerhouse football programand was long the subject of speculation in South Florida.

Jones' defense claimed the state's case was weak and accused prosecutors of folding to community pressure to finally make an arrest in this high profile case. The prosecution lacked physical evidence directly linking Jones, now 40, to the shooting.

Prosecutors relied on testimony of a witness who said he saw Jones leaving the crime scene. Jones' cellphone was picked up by a tower about 2.2 miles from Pata's building just before the slaying, officials said.

The defendant had rejected an offer to plead guilty in exchange for a15-year prison sentence.

"We're gonna continue to push forward and push through this and remain steadfast," Edwin Pata said.

"But this is, for our family, this is one of the hardest things that we had to deal with outside of Bryan passing. It just brought everything back and then to go through the anxiety and the stress every day, waking up everyday, having to deal with this every day."

All the major conferences have one week left before their respective postseason tournaments. Arizona (Big 12),Duke(ACC), Michigan (Big Ten) and Florida (SEC) ― all ranked inside the top 7 of the Feb. 23 poll ―have claimed at least a share of their conference championship.

REQUIRED READING:March Madness bracket projection: Which teams could fight for No. 1 seed?

On Friday, Feb. 27, No. 3 Michigan earned a dominant 84-70 road victory over Illinois toclinch at least a share of the Big Ten, just two years after finishing dead last in the conference. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Feb. 28, Florida dismantled No. 17 Arkansas by a tune of 111-77 to clinch its first SEC regular season title since 2015.

No. 4 Iowa State, No. 8 Purdue, 9 Gonzaga, 11 Virginia and No. 14 Kansas all stumbled over the weekend, which could have an impact on this week's rankings. Just how much?

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Here's a look at the latest Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 for March. 2:

College basketball rankings

First-place votes in parentheses.

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

1. Duke (28)

2. Arizona (3)

3. Michigan

4. Connecticut

5. Florida

6. Houston

7. Iowa State

8. Michigan State

9. Nebraska

10. Texas Tech

11. Illinois

12. Gonzaga

13. Virginia

14. Purdue

15. Kansas

16. Alabama

17. St. John's

18. North Carolina

19. Arkansas

20. Miami (Ohio)

21. Saint Mary's

22. Vanderbilt

23. Miami

24. Saint Louis

25. Tennessee

Other's receiving votes: BYU 35; Louisville 31; Wisconsin 23; Villanova 17; Missouri 10; Utah State 9; Clemson 8; Kentucky 5; UCF 3; Georgia 1.

AP Top 25

1. Duke (55)

2. Arizona (4)

3. Michigan

4. UConn

5. Florida

6. Iowa State

7. Houston

8. Michigan State

9. Nebraska

10. Texas Tech

11. Illinois

12. Gonzaga

13. Virginia

14. Kansas

15. Purdue

16. Alabama

17. UNC

18. St. John's

19. Miami (Ohio)

20. Arkansas

21. Saint Mary's

22. Miami

23. Tennessee

24. Vanderbilt

25. Saint Louis

Others receiving votes: BYU 74, Kentucky 47, Louisville 47, Missouri 40, Wisconsin 27, Clemson 16, Utah St. 10, UCF 7, High Point 7, Dayton 5, Villanova 4, Navy 3, NC State 2, TCU 2, Ohio St. 1, Santa Clara 1.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Men's college basketball rankings: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25

Iran US Next Supreme Leader

It's only the second time sincethe 1979 Islamic Revolutionthat a new supreme leader is being chosen. Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement.

The supreme leader has the final say on all major decisions, including war, peace and the country'sdisputed nuclear program.

In the meantime, a provisional governing council composed of President Masoud Pezeshkian, hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and senior Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi is guiding the country through its biggest crisis in decades. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that a new supreme leader would be chosen early this week.

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The supreme leader is appointed by an 88-member panel called theAssembly of Experts, who by law are supposed to quickly name a successor. The panel consists of Shiite clerics who are popularly elected after their candidacies are approved by the Guardian Council, Iran's constitutional watchdog.

Khamenei had major influence over both clerical bodies, making it unlikely the next leader will mark a radical departure.

Here are the top contenders.

Mojtaba Khamenei

The son of Khamenei, a mid-level Shiite cleric, is widely considered a potential successor. He has strong ties to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard but has never held office. His selection could prove awkward, as the Islamic Republic has long criticized hereditary rule and cast itself as a more just alternative.

Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi

Arafi is a member of the provisional government council. The senior Shiite cleric was handpicked by Khamenei to be a member of the Guardian Council in 2019, and three years later he was elected to the Assembly of Experts. He leads a network of seminaries.

Hassan Rouhani

Rouhani, a relative moderate, was president of Iran from 2013 to 2021 and reached the landmark nuclear agreement with the Obama administration that U.S. President Donald Trumpscrapped during his first term. Rouhani served on the Assembly of Experts until 2024, when he said he was disqualified from running for reelection. Rouhani criticized it as an infringement on Iranians' political participation.Hassan KhomeiniKhomeini is the most prominent grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He is also seen as a relative moderate, but has never held government office. He currently works at his grandfather's mausoleum in Tehran.Ayatollah Mohammed Mehdi MirbagheriMirbagheri is a senior cleric popular with hard-liners who serves on the Assembly of Experts.He was close to the late Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a fellow hard-liner who wrote that Iran should not deprive itself of the right to produce "special weapons," a veiled reference to nuclear arms.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mirbagheri denounced the closure of schools as a "conspiracy."He is currently the head of the Islamic Cultural Center in Qom, the main center for Islamic teaching in Iran.

Rouhani, a relative moderate, was president of Iran from 2013 to 2021 and reached the landmark nuclear agreement with the Obama administration that U.S. President Donald Trumpscrapped during his first term. Rouhani served on the Assembly of Experts until 2024, when he said he was disqualified from running for reelection. Rouhani criticized it as an infringement on Iranians' political participation.

Hassan Khomeini

Khomeini is the most prominent grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He is also seen as a relative moderate, but has never held government office. He currently works at his grandfather's mausoleum in Tehran.

Ayatollah Mohammed Mehdi Mirbagheri

Mirbagheri is a senior cleric popular with hard-liners who serves on the Assembly of Experts.

He was close to the late Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a fellow hard-liner who wrote that Iran should not deprive itself of the right to produce "special weapons," a veiled reference to nuclear arms.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mirbagheri denounced the closure of schools as a "conspiracy."

He is currently the head of the Islamic Cultural Center in Qom, the main center for Islamic teaching in Iran.