MON SIX

Salt rooms, also called salt caves, are spaces that boost breathing and alleviate stress by exposing our bodies to air containing naturally occurring minerals, according toMargaret Smiechowski, the owner ofSalt Cave Inc.andOceanair Himalayan Salt Cavein Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Breathing very small salt particles boosts our respiratory health, skin and overall wellness in a gentle session that lets us check out from our busy lives.

"The experience is simple, relaxing, and surprisingly powerful," she said. "Just breathing, resting, and allowing nature's oldest mineral to do its work."

The history of halotherapy

Salt therapy, also known as halotherapy, isn't a new wellness trend, according to Smiechowski, who has been building salt rooms and salt caves across the United States for more than two decades. The practice has been ongoing for decades, originating in Eastern Europe as a natural method before studios and spas started advertising salt rooms.

The beginnings trace back toWieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Poland, which became a halotherapy destination in the 1800s after Feliks Boczkowski studied salt's beneficiary effects on miners, according to theSalt Therapy Association. The site is now ahealth resortmore than 400 feet underground people can visit to get treatments.

Modern salt rooms you may see at your local shopping center today attempt to recreate the conditions of natural subterreanean salt mines like Wieliczka, Smiechowski said. This is done by infusing air with microscopic particles of pharmaceutical-grade salt, which are small enough to enter your mouth or nose and fill your body with mineral-rich air.

Take halotherapy with a grain of salt, doctors say

Inhaling teeny salt particles can provide anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory method for a variety of health conditions, according to theSalt Therapy Association, an organization that promotes salt therapy. These include respiratory conditions such as asthma, allergies, colds, bronchitis, COPD, cystic fibrosis and ear infections, among others.

Halotherapy is also a service used for skin conditions including psoriasis, eczema, acne and rosacea. The salt normalizes pH levels and encourages reparative and regenerative cycles for our skin, as well as boosting skin growth and strength, according to theSalt Therapy Association.

It's important to remember that halotherapy is not a medical treatment, according toBruce A. Brod, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. So any potential benefits should be taken with a grain of salt.

"There's no scientific evidence or high-quality medical literature to support any benefit to skin health from salt rooms," Brod says. "I haven't had patients ask me about using salt rooms, but if someone did, I'd tell them that while the experience might feel relaxing, there is limited evidence on any particular health benefits to the skin."

He added that he is concerned salt exposure could interact negatively with our skin, irritating conditions or disturbing prescribed topical medications, curbing their effectiveness.

There is still much research to be done on the extent of benefits halotherapy provides, according to Laxminarayan Prahhakar, pulmonology fellow at Northwell's Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"There is inconsistent evidence but there is data that shows improved lung function, and mucus clearance for people with chronic respiratory diseases.," Prahhakar says. "Depending on their respiratory condition, they would require inhalers, antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications. These treatment options should be discussed with their healthcare provider."

But the risk of salt therapy remains extremely low, and at the bare minimum can be an enjoyable break from our busy routines. Zoning out amid the soft glow of the salt room can help reduce stress and boost mental health, Smiechowski says. The session can be a retreat for our minds and bodies.

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What to know about trying a salt room

There are two kinds of salt room to look for: "Active" salt rooms involve a halogenerator dispersing crushed pure sodium chloride into the air, according to theSalt Therapy Association. "Passive" salt rooms attempt to mimic a natural salt cave, stocking a room with types of salt such as Dead Sea, Himalayan and Rock Salt. The salt isn't pumped through the air, so it's not considered halotherapy. But "passive" salt therapy in a controlled climate does provide many of the same psychological benefits, according to the association.

You may see a crop of salt rooms popping up in your community, so Smiechowski advises to look out for a few key elements:

• Salt-covered walls throughout the room

• A professional halogen generator system, which propels the mini salt particles through the air.

• Proper humidity and climate control

• Clear information about how the therapy works

"If any of these elements are missing, the therapy may not be effective," she said.

The lack of standards for salt rooms is a concern for Brod, too, he says, especially if people have a health vulnerability that could be exacerbated by the wrong treatement.

"We just don't know and the research has not been done," he says. "I am not aware of any authoritative standards being set by medical regulatory agencies at the state or national level."

If you do visit one, Smiechowski says to prepare to get comfortable in the space, relax and breath in the air while reclining. You may not notice the salt, even if it's doing its job, she said.

"When guests leave the session, they shouldn't be covered in salt," Smiechowski said. "Instead, the experience is subtle. You might notice only a slight saltiness on your lips."

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Are salt rooms safe for kids?

Not only does breathing the air clear mucus and reduce airway inflammation for kids, but it can provide a tactile activity for young ones, Smiechowski said. The floor is typically laid with salt crystals, which kids can dig or play with as they breath in the healthy air.

"It is likely low risk ... but overall more research is needed," says Melanie Brown, medical director of Pediatric Palliative and Integrative Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "For children especially, we want to be careful not to substitute therapies like salt rooms for treatments that we know are effective. If a child has asthma or another chronic respiratory condition, evidence-based care and making a plan with your pediatrician or pulmonologist should always come first."

Brown says too look out for how salt rooms are maintained before taking kids.

"Parents should pay close attention to cleanliness, air quality and infection control when considering these spaces and always discuss any treatments with your medical care provider."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What is a salt room? Why people use halotherapy for health benefits

Haysom went on from high-level positions promoting human rights in his home country to a distinguished career as a U.N. diplomat, serving in hot spots from Afghanistan and Iraq to Somalia and South Sudan.

His daughter, Rebecca Haysom, told The Associated Press that he died Tuesday in New York "after a long, valiant battle with heart and lung complications."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Haysom "devoted his life to justice, dialogue, and reconciliation -- from his central role in South Africa's democratic transition serving as chief legal and constitutional adviser to president Nelson Mandela to years of leadership in U.N. posts in some of the world's most complex and fragile settings."

His legacy "will endure in the peace processes he advanced, the institutions he strengthened, and the principles he helped bring to life around the world," the U.N. chief said in a statement.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa,a former anti-apartheid activist, said the country mourns "a distinguished diplomat and a pioneer of our democratic administration whose commitment to justice and peace made our country, our continent and the world a better place."

"I remember him for applying his legal acumen, mentorship, wisdom and integrity to the development of our constitution," Ramaphosa said in a statement urging South Africans "to honor his contribution to our nation and the international community by upholding the fundamental rights and maintaining the peace he advocated so passionately and eloquently."

He came from a family that believed in equality

Nicholas Roland Leybourne "Fink" Haysom grew up in Durban in a liberal family that believed in racial equality, especially his mother who was an activist against apartheid. At university, he said he became a critic of apartheid as well and decided to go to law school at the Universities of Natal and Cape Town to tackle the conditions of how people lived.

He went on to become president of the anti-apartheid National Union of South African Students and he said in a U.N. interview last year that he was arrested or detained about half a dozen times, once serving six months in solitary confinement in about 1980. Ramaphosa said he also had a creative side: He was South African Playwright of the Year in 1987.

Nobody at that time thought apartheid would end, Haysom said, and it was a "tremendous moment" when Mandela was released in 1990. At the time, Haysom was a member of a very activist human rights law firm.

The African National Congress, which Mandela led, asked Haysom to join its Constitutional Commission, and he said he spent several years with "a very exciting group of intellectuals" conceptualizing the new South Africa, and negotiating with the National Party, which instituted and enforced the apartheid system of racial segregation, on how to get there.

Having been a pariah in much of the world, Haysom said the group wanted to find the perfect formula for a constitutional state that appreciated the need for equality among all its citizens and recreated a social contract "which we wanted to be a lesson for the world." It wasn't easy, he said, but "the South African constitution is still regarded as perhaps one of the most progressive constitutions in the world."

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"And I think that's what led to me being asked to be Mandela's legal adviser ... while he was president," Haysom said, a position he held from 1994 to 1999.

Mandela wanted to set an example for the first post-apartheid government to respect the law, Haysom said, "and he was really at the forefront of creating a society built on respect for legal equality and human rights."

He saw Mandela every morning and said he was "tremendously gracious."

"But he was steely, strong in the conviction he had that he was embarking on the right path, and he persevered," Haysom said. "As I say to my children, the lesson of Mandela is not just being a nice person, it's perseverance in your ideals that'll change the world."

He worked across the decades to end ethnic discord

Under Mandela, Haysom joined a team that helped end ethnic violence in Burundi between Hutus and Tutsis in the 1990s. He then was asked to try to find a formula to restore peace in Sudan between the north and south, which eventually led to South Sudan seceding and becoming an independent country in 2011.

Haysom then spent from 2005 to 2007 in Iraq trying to find a formula for its communities — Shia, Sunni and Kurd — to live together, an issue he saw in all conflicts. From 2007 to 2012, he served in then-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office as director for political, peacekeeping and humanitarian affairs. He then spent four years in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2016 in two U.N. roles.

Most of the rest of his U.N. career was focused on Sudan and South Sudan, where he had been head of the peacekeeping mission since 2021 except for a brief stint in Somalia. He was ordered to leave by the Somali government in 2019 after questioning the arrest of a former leader of the al-Shabab extremist group.

Haysom is survived by his wife Delphine and their two sons Charles and Hector, as well as his three older children, Rebecca, Simone, and Julian, from his previous marriage to Mary Ann Cullinan.

Haysom said there was a time when he was "quite probably inappropriately proud" of his efforts particularly in Burundi, Sudan and South Africa, but after a few years all those peace agreements were in trouble.

It's a recognition, he said, that peace doesn't last forever and democracy requires "constant engagement by people of good intention."

Gerald Imray contributed to this report from Cape Town, South Africa

The summerlike conditions are expected to persist and expand east in the coming days.

Across Southern California and the Desert Southwest, around 38 million people are under heat alerts. High temperatures in the upper 90s and triple digits have been common throughout the region, thanks to a sprawling heat dome that remains parked over the West.

On Thursday, Palm Springs, California,hit 107 degrees Fahrenheit,setting a new all-time record for the month of March. The previous record, of 105, was set on Wednesday.

The city of Indio in the Coachella Valley also set a record high for March on Thursday, when temperatures climbed to 108 degrees.

A number of daily records were broken across California, as well, including a101-degree reading in Riverside on Thursday. Records set the prior day included highs of 95 degrees inAnaheim, 88 degrees in Sacramento and 85 degrees in both San Francisco and San Diego, according to the NWS.

In Arizona's Yuma County, the community of Martinez Lake hit a jaw-dropping 110 degrees on Thursday, setting a new record for the highest March temperature in U.S. recorded history,according to the National Weather Service.

Phoenix, meanwhile, recorded its earliest triple-digit day on Wednesday, with a high of 102 degrees. Temperaturesreached 104 degrees there on Thursday.

"This is not only the first 100° day of 2026, but it is also the earliest occurrence of 100° in Phoenix (which last occurred on March 26, 1988)," the local office of the National Weather Servicewrote Wednesday on X.

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Phoenix is forecast to hit 106 degrees on Friday and Saturday. An extreme heat warning is in effect for the region through Sunday.

Las Vegas has similarly sizzled. On Thursday, the city set a new March record of 95 degrees,according to the local office of the National Weather Service. Temperatures there could reach 100 degrees on Friday.

Even parts of Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming are experiencing unseasonably warm conditions. The National Weather Service office in Boise said Wednesday afternoon that the city measured a high of 80 degrees.

"This is the earliest date for 80 degrees in records dating back to 1875, and only the second time Boise has ever reached 80 in winter, the other time being March 19, 1997," the NWS officesaid on X.

Heat will continue to build heading into the weekend and is expected to move east into the Rockies and the central and southern Plains.

"By Saturday, expect maximum temperatures in the middle to upper 90s across Texas and low to middle 90s as far north as Nebraska and South Dakota," the NWSsaid Thursday.

Colorado could set new temperature records, as well, with Friday forecasts showing highs of 84 degrees in Denver, 86 degrees in Fort Collins and 83 degrees in Boulder. On Saturday, the projected highs tick up even further. TheNational Weather Service warnedthat extreme heat, combined with gusty winds and low humidity, areincreasing the risks of wildfiresin the state.

This week'sheat domeis caused by a stubborn ridge of high pressure that has trapped hot air over the West like a lid on a pot.

While it can be challenging to tease out the exact influence of climate change on specific weather events,global warming is known to make heat waves more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting.

Countries around the world, as well as the United Nations, are working to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Arab and Islamic leaders urge Iran to cease its attacks. US President Donald Trump made headlines today for downplaying the hefty bill of war costs –– and for cracking a joke about the Pearl Harbor attack during a summit with Japan's leader.

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Here's what to know on Day 21.

What are the main headlines?

• Energy strikes: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country will heed Trump's call not to repeat attacks on key Iranian energy sites like the South Pars field, part of the world's largest natural gas reserve. Netanyahu said Israel acted alone in striking a facility linked to the gas field Wednesday. However, two US and Israeli sources familiar with the strike have contradicted Trump's claim that the US "knew nothing" about it.

• Oil market: Tehran has retaliated with strikes on energy infrastructure in Israel and Qatar. The global oil benchmark hit $115 a barrel Thursday, and one expert said gas prices could remain high for at least several weeks.

• Strait of Hormuz: The United Nations' maritime organization said it will start negotiating with countries to establish a humanitarian corridor to free around 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf. The UN did not give a timeframe for when talks would begin, or whether Iran –– which has a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz –– would cooperate. The United Kingdom has also sent military planners to work with the US to come up with a "viable collective plan" to reopen the vital waterway.

• Wartime funding: Trump is seeking $200 billion in new Pentagon funding, calling it a "small price to pay" to equip the military. His administration also bypassed Congress to expedite the sale of billions of dollars' worth of weapons to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, as Gulf allies take the brunt of Iran's retaliation for US and Israeli military action.

• Pearl Harbor joke: When a reporter asked Trump why he didn't tell allies like Japan about his intention to strike Iran, the president responded in part with a joke about the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor –– while sitting next to Japan's prime minister in the Oval Office.

• Boots on the ground: Trump said he's not deploying US troops, when asked about Reuters' reporting that his administration is considering sending thousands to the Middle East. But he also added: "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not putting troops."

What's happening on the ground?

• US aircraft hit: An F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, sources told CNN. US Central Command said the pilot is in a stable condition.

• Strikes on the ground: Countries across the Middle East intercepted drones and missiles early Friday morning, including Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. The attacks come as Muslims around the region celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival, that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

• High casualties: More than 18,000 Iranian civilians have been injured since the latest conflict began, according to state media, citing the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Meanwhile in Lebanon, the death toll surpassed 1,000 on Thursday. Scores more have been killed around the region, including US service members and foreign nationals.

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Two seasons ago, Indiana State won the Missouri Valley regular-season crown, earning the program's first national ranking since the Larry Bird-led team in 1979 along the way, before losing to Drake in the finals of the conference tournament.

The Sycamores were then snubbed by the NCAA selection committee, who held them out of the at-large field despite a NET rating of 28, the highest of any team to miss the tournament.

"It was kind of the biggest disappointment we've ever had," said former Indiana State and current Saint Louis assistant coach Antone Gray. "It was a huge letdown that night."

Two years later, the biggest pieces behind that season's success — coach Josh Schertz and center Robbie Avila — embraced after No. 9Saint Louisrouted No. 8Georgia,102-77, in the opening round of the Midwest region, celebrating an achievement rooted in the decision to leave Indiana State after the 2024 season.

"Our goal was from the beginning of the year to reach this moment, so we got here, we kind of accomplished that goal," Avila said. "But obviously that 2024 year was just what it was. I'm just excited and blessed to have the opportunity to do it here."

The Billikens advanced to face No. 1Michigan, whichpulled awayfrom No. 16Howardin the second half of a101-80win.

Thomas Dowd of the Troy Trojans reacts after coming out of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

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March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Tournament

Thomas Dowd of the Troy Trojansreactsafter coming out of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Shertz accepted the Saint Louis opening days after the Sycamores lost to Seton Hall in the NIT championship game. Two weeks later, Avila followed suit to become the centerpiece of the Billikens' transformation from 13-20 in 2023-24 to a school-record 29 wins and growing this season.

"I wanted to get this team to the NCAA Tournament for a lot of reasons, but he was the biggest," Shertz said of Avila. "There was a lot of people that helped bring me here, but I just never wanted for him to have ended his career not in the tournament, particularly after what happened to our Indiana State team."

The player with a collection of the bestnicknamesin the sport — Bert, Steph Blurry, Larry Nerd and many more — showcased his deft touch near the basket and skills as a passer against the Bulldogs, posting 12 points to go with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal before being replaced with 4:45 remaining and the Billikens holding a 38-point lead.

After drilling a 3-pointer to put Saint Louis ahead 86-52 with just over nine minutes left, Avila raised his arms as fans chanted his first name. At this point, Avila and the Billikens had so demoralized the Bulldogs thatGeorgiafans sitting behind press row began discussing Thursday's start of spring football.

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"Major impact. Energy booster," said Saint Louis guard Trey Green. "Robbie hit some key buckets. He made some good passes. Defensively, he held his own. To have your leader make an impact like that, you know, it drives us to have his back and do the same thing."

This was par for the course for one of the top players on the mid-major level and one of the most balanced players in the country, period, even if Avila was not named one of the five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the nation's best center.

Avila is now averaging a team-best 12.9 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game and a team-leading 4.1 assists per game, all while shooting 50.9% from the field, a career-best 41.7% from deep and 80.3% from the free-throw line.

All this while looking like, well, someone who shouldn't be this good. With his goatee, beefy frame and lack of rim-shaking athleticism, Avila is a human version of the Spider-Man-pointing meme for those watching at home: Hey, he looks just like me!

"He's the most team guy that we have," said Gray. "He leads us. He could've gone anywhere in the country and he came here for a reason. He came back for this."

Like Avila, Schertz saw his profile grow at Indiana State, which hired him in 2021 after a hugely successful run at Division II Lincoln Memorial. He's since become one of the hottest names in mid-major coaching, drawing heavy attention for the Syracuse opening before declining the Orange's overtures and signing a contract extension with Saint Louis last week.

There's no wonder larger programs are so interested: Schertz has made things happen at every stop, making three Division II Final Four appearances at Lincoln Memorial, winning 62.3% of his games with the Sycamores and now posting a 48-20 mark in his two seasons with the Billikens.

"It's been everything I've ever dreamed of and more," said his son, Jaden, a walk-on junior guard who followed his dad from Indiana State.

"It's surreal, man. I've known my dad is a great coach since the D-II days. We've watched March Madness since we were little. So it's awesome watching it on this stage."

Overall, Schertz has won 77.8% of his games, ranking him eighth among active college coaches across all NCAA levels. In four seasons with Avila on the roster, he's gone 103-40. But this win stands alone.

"This was just a full-circle moment," said Gray. "I think this was what we deserved and honestly, what Robbie and coach deserved the most."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Saint Louis' NCAA Tournament blowout win was two years in the making

The five-match series is level at 1-1 after South Africa won the first matchby seven wicketsand New Zealandthe second by 68 runs.

Both teams made one lineup change. South Africa named right-arm pacer Lutho Sipamla in place of Ottneil Baartman while New Zealand recalled Bevon Jacobs in place of Josh Clarkson.

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New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner (captain), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson.

Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (captain), Nqobani Mokoena, Lutho Sipamla.

AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

APTOPIX Suns Spurs Basketball

That vow was fulfilled in dramatic fashion on Thursday night as San Antonio rallied in the final minute tobeat the Phoenix Suns 101-100and clinch its first playoff berth since 2019.

Victor Wembanyama's 17-foot, pullup jumper with a second left ended a six-season postseason drought as the Spurs secured a top-six finish in the Western Conference.

"When you're building something, it doesn't happen overnight," Johnson said. "It's not something that you get all these players and then you just say, 'Oh, damn, we good.' It took some time and it took some development. It took some growing up and those type of things. And slowly but surely we here."

San Antonio (52-18) is three games behind Oklahoma City (55-15) for the West's No. 1 seed.

A return to the postseason has stirred memories of the Spurs' historic run when they won five NBA championships while matching a league record with 22 straight postseason appearances beginning in 1998. The run was fueled by Hall of Famers David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, but the Spurs' fortunes changed as they retired.

San Antonio finished 22-60 in 2022-23 and in 2023-24, coming one win shy of matching a franchise record for futility in back-to-back seasons. The first resulted in the Spurs earning the No. 1 pick, which they used to select Wembanyama in 2023. The second led to the fourth pick in 2024, when they selected Stephon Castle.

San Antonio has built its depth around their back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners, including the additions of De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes along with rookie Dylan Harper and the retention of veterans Johnson, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie.

Still, Wembanyama has spurred San Antonio's resurgence. The 7-foot-4 center is averaging 24.3 points and 11.2 rebounds this season and is a leading candidate to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.

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Wembanyama had 34 points and 12 rebounds against Phoenix, sealing a furious final-minute rally with the game-winner over Oso Ighodaro.

"It was hard to take in all the stimulus around me," Wembanyama said. "I had the fans looking at me. I had this guy spill wine on me. And then that was before the end of the game. I'd made the shot. I would sprint back on defense and kind of hit a guy and I got wine on my shorts now. It was a lot going on."

The celebration continued after the game as Johnson grabbed a microphone and led the sellout crowd in an "M-V-P" chant for Wembanyama.

"I feel like, like I said out there, like I said in the interview, he's playing at an MVP type level," Johnson said. "And it's hard to deny when he's doing what he's doing on both ends of the court. And he's leading us night in and night out to win."

For his part, Wembanyama is happy but not satisfied with simply making the playoffs.

Wembanyama has said he wants the Spurs to win 60 games. He also believes San Antonio can improve offensively and defensively for what he hopes is a long postseason run.

"Of course, the first instinct is to be proud of it and to love it because we're part of it," Wembanyama said. "But the key for me is to try to not care because we want to attack 82 games. I'm scared to become complacent, so I'll be on the other end of the spectrum right now. Try to not care at all."

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA