1. AT&T and Justice Department to battle in D.C. courtroom over the future of TV
AT&T's fight to buy Time Warner — home of DC Comics heroes Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, as well as HBO's Game of Thrones and CNN — heads to a high-stakes throw-down with the Trump administration on Monday in a Washington, D.C., courtroom. The nation's largest telecom company, which counts one-third of Americans among its wireless customers, wants to convince the court that its $85 billion deal for buying media powerhouse Time Warner will help consumers. Its opponent, the Department of Justice, says the deal must be stopped.
2. Wet start to the work week
The first day of Spring is Tuesday... but we need those showers for the flowers, right?
Temperatures will be in the 50s during Monday's morning commute. Rain in the southwest is heading towards the Charlotte-metro area and is expected to impact our area around 10 to 11 a.m. Monday.
That rain will keep the temperatures down, unlike Sunday in the 70s, temperatures are expected to remain in the high 50s and low 60s throughout Monday. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue on and off throughout the day, especially Monday night as a low pressure system brings colder temperatures. Click here for your full forecast.
3. Texas A&M stuns reigning champ UNC in NCAA 2nd round
T.J. Starks scored 21 points and Texas A&M overpowered North Carolina inside, upsetting the reigning national champions 86-65 Sunday in the NCAA Tournament to mark the second straight year a title holder missed the Sweet 16. The seventh-seeded Aggies (22-12) did everything they had to do to hand the Tar Heels a rare loss in a home-state NCAA game. They dominated the glass. They used their size to control the paint and block shots. And they pounced when UNC's small-ball lineup couldn't make an outside shot. Click here to continue reading.
4. Reports: Greg Olsen auditioning for 'Monday Night Football' analyst job
Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is reportedly auditioning to become an analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football. According to a report from ESPN’s David Newton, Olsen was in Bristol, Conn. Wednesday to audition for the role as the network’s lead analyst, replacing Jon Gruden, who left ESPN to become the head coach of the Oakland Raiders. In a tweet, Newton said if Olsen is selected and accepts the job, it would be expected that he retire and take the job beginning this season.
5. Putin elected as Russia's president for another six-year term
Russian President Vladimir Putin — the country's longest-serving leader since former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin — scored a victory in Sunday's election allowing him another six-year term. Putin's re-election was widely expected, and elections officials had pushed hard for a strong turnout to claim an indisputable mandate. Putin has been president or prime minister since December 1999, making him the only leader that a generation of Russians has ever known. The final election results Monday showed that Putin won 76.6% of the vote, his highest score ever.
Putin thanked thousands of people who rallied near Red Square after the vote. He hailed those who voted for him as a “big national team,” adding that “we are bound for success.”
He said the nation needs unity to move forward and urged the crowd to “think about the future of our great motherland.” He then led the enthusiastic crowd to chant “Russia!” the Associated Press reported.
