But if the fourth-seeded Fighting Illini (22-9) are to make a significant run in the NCAA Tournament, starting with Friday night's first-round game in the South Region against 13th-seeded Chattanooga in Pittsburgh, Cockburn will need help.

Murdaugh was last week sentenced to two consecutive life sentences after he was found guilty of shooting dead his wife Maggie, 52, and younger son Paul, 22, at the family's hunting estate in Moselle on the night of June 7, 2021.

LaCivita said the Trump campaign made itself available as a resource to the state party and the RNC, but suggested they more or less let the process play out. "Sometimes it requires a light touch and not a heavy one," LaCivita said. The Republican state parties in Idaho, Nevada and Michigan did not respond to requests for comment about outreach by the Trump campaign. DESANTIS WATCHING Lobbying for primary rule changes has been a staple of campaigns in both major parties for decades.

Plummer averages three 3-pointers per game. His 93 3-pointers were the most by any Big Ten player.

He's capable of shooting opponents right out of the building, as proven by consecutive games in February when he strafed Ohio State and Michigan for 14 of 19 from behind the arc.

The 35-year-old Australian followed that with bogeys at the 16th and 18th holes, and while he remains in the mix he is well aware that he could be much closer to clubhouse leader Brooks Koepka going into what is expected to be a rain-filled weekend.

Illinois is viewed as a potential upset victim by many, with Chattanooga receiving the second-most support among double-digit seeds at BetRivers with 82 percent of the spread handle as an 8.0-point underdog.

"I've just got off the golf course and I'm thoroughly annoyed with myself, and I'm sitting here answering questions, and that can be difficult because it's in the heat of the moment, and I'm trying to get a hold of myself."

And Chattanooga also has March Madness' most dramatic ending so far. It trailed Furman by two points with just over four seconds left in overtime of the Southern Conference title game on March 7.

That was just enough time for David Jean-Baptiste to dribble into the frontcourt, rise over two defenders and swish a 30-footer to win the game 64-63.

Trump is not alone in trying to shape the 2024 battlefield in his favor. The Democratic National Committee in February approved President Joe Biden's shakeup of the party's 2024 primary calendar, giving Black voters a greater say in the nominating process and carving an easier path for Biden. The Democrats' changes boosted the roles of South Carolina and Georgia among other states, and demoted the famed Iowa caucuses.

Jason Roe, a Republican strategist based in Michigan, said the Trump campaign's machinations had the hallmarks of a strategy mapped out by LaCivita, a longtime Virginia political operative whom he called "a skilled convention vote counter." "Any time you can get delegates selected at a convention or caucus it is more advantageous for Trump than being on the ballot," Roe said.

The employees published an open letter on its website and via Twitter, along with a petition and a series of demands, including that The Walt Disney Co. stop all donations to politicians who backed the controversial measure. The group is also demanding the company implement a "LGBTQIA+ brand" and allocate spending to protect and expand representation of marginalized groups.

'But as I sit here in this courtroom and look around at the many portraits of judges and other court officials and reflect on the fact that over the past century, your family, including you, have been prosecuting people here in this courtroom and many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct.

Kirkland is one of South Carolina's most notorious facilities.

Far from being safe inside the prison's fortified walls, homeschooling k-5 students inmates like Murdaugh are under constant threat from the killers, sex offenders and armed robbers they call neighbors.

A group of LGBTQ Disney employees and their supporters are staging walkouts this week and next in response to CEO Bob Chapek's initial refusal to denounce Florida's so-called Don't Say Gay legislation, which bans discussions of sexuality and gender identity in schools. Organizers say the company's recent actions and statements don't adequately address the threat to the safety of LGBTQ individuals. 

The Don't Say Gay bill, officially known as HB 1557 or the Parental Rights in Education bill, hasn't yet been signed into law, though Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to approve it. The bill piggybacks anti-trans legislation in Texas that's received a wave of national opposition, as it would criminalize parents for helping transgender children access gender-affirming health care. 

The walkouts are being organized by Disney Do Better, a group that includes employees across The Walt Disney Co., along with Lucasfilm, Pixar, Disney Television Animation and others. The brief protests began this week and are scheduled to take place daily, culminating in a full all-day action on Tuesday, March 22, according to the group's walkout schedule.