MON SIX

Bryce Hopkins had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Oziyah Sellers added 12 points as 17th-ranked St. John's held off Marquette 76-70 in a Big East matchup Wednesday in Milwaukee, extending its winning streak to 12 games.

St. John's (21-5, 14-1 Big East) moved atop the conference, a half-game in front of No. 5 UConn, which was upset by Creighton 91-84 on Wednesday. The Red Storm have not lost since a 77-71 setback against Providence on Jan. 3.

Nigel James Jr. scored 25 points and Royce Parham put up 13 for Marquette (9-18, 4-12 Big East), which has lost four of its past five games.

Joson Sanon's 3-pointer put St. John's up 67-61 with 6:37 remaining, but neither team scored again until Zuby Ejiofor hit a free throw with 4:10 left to make it 68-61.

Sanon's free throw put St. John's up 71-63 with just under three minutes left. Adrian Stevens hit a 3-pointer and Tre Norman sank the second of two free throws to pull Marquette within 71-67 with 44 seconds remaining.

James converted a three-point play to make it 72-70 with 27.5 seconds left. Ejiofor's two free throws pushed the lead to 74-70 with 21.1 seconds remaining.

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Marquette's Chase Ross missed a baseline runner and Hopkins added a pair of free throws.

Marquette erased a nine-point halftime deficit with an 11-point run to open the second half. Ross' 3-pointer from the top put the Golden Eagles in front 46-44 as St. John's missed its first five shots after the break.

James scored on consecutive drives to put Marquette in front 56-50 with just under 12 minutes remaining.

St. John's responded with a nine-point run, going in front 59-56 on Hopkins' 3-pointer.

St. John's closed the first half with a 10-4 run for a 44-35 halftime lead. The Red Storm shot 54.8% in the first half, hitting seven of their final eight shots.

For the game, the Red Storm outshot the Golden Eagles 44.8% to 42.6%.

--Field Level Media

TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — After days of increasingly brutal conditions in California's Sierra Nevada, a group of 15 backcountry skiers set out for home. But as they left remote huts at thousands of feet of elevation and trekked back toward the trailhead, they were slammed by atreacherous avalanchethat left eight dead and one missing.

California Avalanche

With avalanche warnings in effect through early Thursday, officials were still waiting for thepowerful stormto clear so they could recover the bodies of the victims of Tuesday's avalanche, the nation's deadliest in nearly half a century. Officials have not yet released the names.

The ski group involved has deep ties to the alpine recreation community in Lake Tahoe, including the elite Sugar Bowl Academy, which issued a statement late Wednesday mourning the loss of victims with "strong connections to Sugar Bowl, Donner Summit and the backcountry community."

It did not say how the skiers, said to range in age from 30 to 55, were connected to the school, which offers alpine and backcountry ski instruction and academics for young athletes.

"We are an incredibly close and connected community," Sugar Bowl Academy executive director Stephen McMahon was quoted as saying in the statement. "This tragedy has affected each and every one of us."

Four in the group were guides fromBlackbird Mountain Guides, which offers mountaineering and backcountry ski trips as well as safety courses across the West and internationally. One of them was among the six survivors.

The three-day tour, which began Sunday, was for intermediate to expert skiers, according to the company's website.

The tour company said in a statement Wednesday night that it has launched an investigation and paused field operations at least through the weekend while it prioritizes supporting the victims' families.

The company guides who led the group were trained or certified in backcountry skiing and were also instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.

While in the field, they "are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions," founder Zeb Blais said in the statement.

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"We don't have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do," the company said. "In the meantime, please keep those impacted in your hearts."

Mayor Max Perrey of Marin County's Mill Valley, a small city about 14 miles (22 kilometers) north of San Francisco, confirmed that some in the group were women from his city. He was not able to provide additional details but told The Associated Press via email that more information would be released later.

The Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche watch Sunday morning, and that was elevated to a warning by 5 a.m. Tuesday, indicating that avalanches were expected. It is not clear whether the guides would have known about the change before they began their return trek.

Authorities described a harrowing scene as the survivors scoured the snow for the missing and waited six hours for help to arrive in blizzard conditions. They found three of the bodies, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said.

The skiers all had beacons that can send signals to rescuers, and at least one guide was able to send text messages. But it was not clear whether they were wearing avalanche bags, which are inflatable devices that can keep skiers near the surface, sheriff's Capt. Russell "Rusty" Greene said.

One of those rescued remained hospitalized Wednesday, Moon said.

Three to 6 feet (91 centimeters to 1.8 meters) of snow has fallen in the area since Sunday. The area was also hit by subfreezing temperatures and gale force winds.

The avalanche isthe deadliest in the U.S. since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington state, and the second deadly avalanche near Castle Peak this year, after asnowmobiler was buriedJanuary. Each winter the slides kill 25 to 30 in the country, according to the National Avalanche Center.

The area near Donner Summit, where the ski trip took place, is one of the snowiest places in the Western Hemisphere and until just a few years ago was closed to the public. The summit is named for the infamous Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after getting trapped there in the winter of 1846-1847.

Watson reported from San Diego, and Golden from Seattle. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento contributed.

Graham Ike scored 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting to help No. 11 Gonzaga roll to an 80-59 victory over host San Francisco in West Coast Conference play on Wednesday night.

Mario Saint-Supery had 14 points and six assists and Emmanuel Innocenti registered 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals as the Bulldogs (26-2, 14-1 WCC) defeated the Dons for the 35th consecutive time.

Jalen Warley added 11 points for Gonzaga in a contest played at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. Ike has scored 20 or more points in each of his past eight games.

Tyrone Riley IV scored 16 points and Mookie Cook added 12 for San Francisco (15-14, 7-9). Legend Smiley had 10 for the Dons, who have lost six of their past eight games.

San Francisco's most recent victory over Gonzaga came in 2012, a 66-65 home triumph.

The Dons shot 35.7% from the field, including 5 of 24 (20.8%) from 3-point range, and trailed by as many as 24 points.

Gonzaga knocked down 54.8% of its attempts and made 5 of 17 (29.4%) from behind the arc.

The Dons trailed 48-38 after a 3-pointer by Cook with 16:13 left in the game.

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Adam Miller scored the next five Gonzaga points and Saint-Supery added a trey to increase the lead to 18 with 14:14 to play.

Just past the midway point of the second half, Innocenti buried a 3-pointer to make it 64-43.

Ike later drilled a 3-pointer and followed with a hook shot to make it 78-56 with 1:36 left as the Zags closed it out.

Ike scored 13 first-half points to help the Bulldogs lead 41-29 at the break.

Just seven-plus minutes into the game, Gonzaga led by eight before the Dons ripped off nine straight points. Riley capped the surge with a trey to give San Francisco a 17-14 advantage with 8:34 left in the half.

The Dons led 19-18 after a basket by Smiley with 6:40 remaining before the Bulldogs scored the next nine. Ike had two baskets during the spurt and Saint-Supery ended it with a 3-pointer to give Gonzaga a 27-19 lead with 5:01 left.

Davis Fogle's three-point play gave the Bulldogs a 14-point edge with 6.6 seconds to go until intermission.

--Field Level Media

This classic book, which is read across many English classes around the country, reached a significant milestone onWednesday.

141 years ago,Mark Twain's most popular book,The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,was officially published in the United States. Though the book was released in December 1884 in the United Kingdom and Canada, the U.S. release was delayed due to a printing error involving an illustration.

Noted for "changing the course of children's literature" in the United States,The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnfollows a young boy named Huck, who flees his abusive father and travels down the Mississippi River with Jim, a black man escaping slavery. During their journey, Huck encounters a variety of characters and people who portray every socioeconomic class living on or along the river. Themes explored in the novel include the deeply rooted racism before the Civil War and the quest for freedom from society's constraints. The book serves as a direct sequel toThe Adventures of Tom Sawyerand is told in the first-person POV of Huck.

Despite its impact on American literature today,The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnwas considered controversial and banned in many classroomsand libraries for years for various reasons. The novel frequently uses the N-word and other degrading terms, and many libraries did not like its coarse language and tone. In addition, many critics argued that, though the book is trying to critique racism, the portrayal of characters like Jim relied on outdated stereotypes. It is important to note that Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was a white American author born and raised in Missouri.

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Over the past century,The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnhas been adapted many times through film and TV in various countries. In the United States, the most recent adaptation was the 2014 movieTom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, which starred Joel Courtney as Tom Sawyer, Jake T. Austin as Huck and Katherine McNamara as Becky Thatcher, Tom's primary love interest.

Despite its censorship,The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnhas been used to teach American history and literature, offering students a chance to learn about the root causes of racism and the complexities of the pre-Civil War South. After finishingHuckleberry Finn, Twain continued to write books, includingA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court,The Gilded Age: A Tale of Todaywith Charles Dudley Warner,Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant,The American Claimant,Personal Recollections of Joan of Arcand more. The American author passed away due to a heart attack on April 21, 1910, when he was 74 years old.

As fellow American author Ernest Hemingway famously said in his 1935 book,Green Hills of Africa: "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain calledHuckleberry Finn. It's the best book we've had.All Americanwriting comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since."

Related: '70s Rock Legend, 76, Releases Memoir of 50-Year Music Career

This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 19, 2026, where it first appeared in theBookssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

Fan-favorite rapper Pitbull is currently facing a lot of heat from netizens after an age-old clip of the artist ranting against the critics of the US recently resurfaced online. Many social media users have come out to highlight the fallacies in the Fireball singer's speech, with some even taking a more aggressive route to voice their opinion.

Pitbull sparks outrage as old clip of him ranting resurfaces

A four-year-old video of Pitbull angrily urging immigrants to return to their countries in case they harbor any complaints against the US during a concert seems to have gone viral (viaCarter Hughes).

In the clip, Pitbull ranted about US haters while addressing the crowd, stating, "Whoever the f-ck doesn't like the United States of America, may God bless you, but f-ck you at the same time. If you don't like the United States of America, go back to the countries that we are from, and you will see how much you appreciate the United States of America."

Opposing his ideology, one X (formerly Twitter) user simply noted, "There's a difference between not liking the United States of America and not liking the state the country is in." Another commentator highlighted how Pitbull's rant goes against the American way, writing, "Someone who loves their country also criticizes it and can hate what it's becoming. I genuinely don't consider someone to have American values when they want to shut up criticism by saying 'leave if you don't like it.'"

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A third critic turned up the heat while negating Pitbull's comments, stating, "The f–k pit bull knows about the country his family is from. He's lived in the USA his whole life. Without struggles. He needs to shut the f–k up." Meanwhile, a fourth X user called out the rapper's pessimistic approach by saying, "Just because other countries have it worse does not mean that we cannot strive to be better."

Notably, Pitbull, or Armando Christian Pérez, as is his real name, is a first-generation American. According toFox News, his mother arrived in the country from Cuba through a clandestine exodus operation named Operation Peter Pan. Similarly, his father made it to the US from Cuba after winning a visa lottery.

Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi onMandatory

The postOld Pitbull Clip Where He's Ranting About Haters of USA Resurfacesappeared first onReality Tea.

You've watched (some of) these TV shows over and over… Maybe a few have even defined a chapter of your life. But can you match all 28 iconic fictional locations to the correct TV show? 📺

From Central Perk to Kildare Island, this quiz takes you through some of the most memorable towns, cities, cafés, and fantastical realms in TV history. 🏝️

Get ready to test your TV knowledge with this 28-question quiz. It's time to see if you can name the show from its fictional setting and prove you're a true aficionado! 🤩

🚀 💡 Want more or looking for something else? Head over to theBored Panda Quizzesand explore our full collection of quizzes and trivia designed to test your knowledge, reveal hidden insights, and spark your curiosity.💡 🚀

Image credits:cottonbro studio

Which of the following fictional locations appears in Friends?

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Rory and Lorelai call which cozy town home?

◯ Sunnydale◯ Star City◯ Twin Peaks◯ Stars Hollow

What is the primary fictional setting of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons called?

◯ Caprica◯ Springfield◯ River Heights◯ Oceanview

Which TV show takes place in the made-up city called Quahog?

◯ The West Wing◯ The X-Files◯ Family Guy◯ Homeland

Hawkins is the fictional location of which famous TV series?

◯ Buffy the Vampire Slayer◯ Back to the Future: The Animated Series◯ Stranger Things◯ Arrow

This show introduces which fictional town?

◯ Smallville◯ Monroeville◯ Seaview◯ Riverdale

Which TV show takes place in the fictional town of Mystic Falls?

◯ Fargo◯ Gravity Falls◯ The Vampire Diaries◯ Lost in Space

Once Upon a Time is a series set in the fictional small coastal town of…

◯ The End◯ Storybrooke◯ Fantasy World◯ Forever and Ever

🧠 Curious to see the rest? Take the full quiz here 🧠

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched India as a central player in the globalartificial intelligenceecosystem, saying the country aims to build technology at home while deploying it worldwide.

"Design and develop in India. Deliver to the world. Deliver to humanity," Modi told a gathering of some world leaders, technology executives and policymakers at theIndia AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

Modi's remarks came as India — one of the fastest-growing digital markets — seeks to leverage its experience in building large-scale digital public infrastructure and to present itself as a cost-effective hub for AI innovation.

The summit was also addressed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who called for a $3 billion fund to help poorer countries build basic AI capacity, including skills, data access and affordable computing power.

"The future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries, or left to the whims of a few billionaires," Guterres said, stressing that AI must "belong to everyone."

India aims to ramp up its AI scale

India is using the summit to position itself as a bridge between advanced economies and the Global South. Indian officials cite the country's digital ID and online payments systems as a model for deploying AI at low cost, particularly in developing countries.

"We must democratize AI. It must become a tool for inclusion and empowerment, particularly for the Global South," Modi said.

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With nearly 1 billion internet users, India has become a key market for global technology companies expanding their AI businesses.

Last December,Microsoftannounceda $17.5 billion investmentover four years to expand cloud and AI infrastructure in India. It followedGoogle's $15 billion investmentover five years, including plans for its first AI hub in the country. Amazon has also pledged $35 billion by 2030, targeting AI-driven digitization.

India is also seeking up to$200 billion in data center investmentin the coming years.

The country, however, lags in developing its own large-scale AI model likeU.S.-based OpenAIorChina's DeepSeek, highlighting challenges such as limited access to advanced semiconductor chips, data centers and hundreds of local languages to learn from.

The summit has faced troubles

The summit opened Monday with organizational glitches, as attendees and exhibitors reported long lines and delays, and some complained on social media that personal belongings and display items had been stolen. Organizers later said the items were recovered.

Problems resurfaced Wednesday when aprivate Indian university was expelledfrom the summit after a staff member showcased a commercially available Chinese-made robotic dog while claiming it as the institution's own innovation.

The setbacks continued Thursday when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates withdrew from a scheduled keynote address. No reason was given, though the Gates Foundation said the move was intended "to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities."

Gates is facing questions over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.