March Madness Elite Eight, Payless ShoeSource closures, 'Veep': 5 things to know this weekend
March Madness: Who will head to Minneapolis?
Final Four berths are on the line as the NCAA tournament moves into the Elite Eight Saturday. No. 3 Texas Tech and No. 1 Gonzaga get the action going at 6:09 p.m. ET. That contest will be followed by No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 1 Virginia. On Sunday, we will find out who else is cutting down the nets and heading to Minneapolis when No. 5 Auburn, which ousted No. 1 North Carolina in dominating fashion, faces No. 2 Kentucky while No. 2 Michigan State battles No. 1 Duke after the Blue Devils survived another close scare in their Sweet 16 win over Virginia Tech.
Controversial Fox News host returns on-air
One of President Donald Trump's favorite Fox News personalities is returning to TV Saturday night, just two weeks after questioning the loyalty of a Muslim member of Congress. Jeanine Pirro's show was suspended by the network after her controversial comments about Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar's hijab. Fox condemned the remarks, but Trump has been publicly campaigning for the return of the TV host, a strong advocate of the president, since March 17, the day after her initial absence. Pirro is no stranger to inflammatory commentary, but this is the first time Fox has taken such meaningful action against her show. The return of a vocal ally like Pirro comes at an opportune time for Trump as he gears up for another fight over the future of the Affordable Care Act and immigration.
More Payless ShoeSource closures; Charlotte Russe says goodbye
The end of March marks the end of the road for a few hundred Payless ShoeSource stores and Charlotte Russe locations. For Payless, the closing stores represent about 14 percent of locations with 247 U.S. locations and 120 in Canada being shuttered Sunday. All stores in the U.S. and Canada will close by late May, Payless has said. All Charlotte Russe stores are expected to close Sunday, liquidators have said. For both chains, all sales are final and stores are no longer accepting returns or gift cards. The closures come a month after a report said that the decline of brick-and-mortar stores isn't expected to slow down, with Coresight Research saying there's "no light at the end of the tunnel."
Presidential hopefuls Harris, Booker speak at LGBTQ event
Presidential candidates Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker will speak Saturday at a major dinner honoring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights. The Los Angeles dinner, hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, is expected to bring together around 1,000 active members and supporters. The activism follows closely on a record number of LGBTQ candidates winning office in the 2018 elections in which the community provided some of the energy that helped Democrats take the House and many governorships across the country. Celebrities participating include Christina Aguilera, who is being honored by the group.
Beginning of the end for 'Veep'
After seven years, two presidential administrations and countless awards, the HBO political comedy "Veep" is back for one last campaign starting Sunday night (10:30 p.m. ET/PT). The award-winning hit show returns for a shortened seven-episode season, nearly two years after the end of Season 6. The choice to make this season the last was also affected by Julia Louis-Dreyfus' breast cancer diagnosis, which she announced in 2017, a day after winning her sixth consecutive lead actress Emmy for the show. The final season follows her character Selina Meyer's campaign to reclaim the Oval Office, after having served previously as vice president and president.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness Elite Eight, Payless ShoeSource closures, 'Veep': 5 things to know this weekend