Straight

• The New York Mets lost their 12th consecutive game following Devin Williams' struggles in the ninth inning, allowing two runs in a defeat highlighted on SNY's Post Game Live. • Gary Apple and Todd Zeile reacted to Williams' performance costing the team, amid ongoing woes for the squad covering New York sports. • Juan Soto returned to the lineup on Wednesday, providing a potential boost as Mets seek to end their skid in MLB action.

• The S&P 500 fell 2% for its fifth consecutive weekly decline, the first such streak since 2022, amid Mideast conflict de-escalation hopes. • Brent crude rose to $112 per barrel, with U.S. 10-year yields climbing to 4.43% on inflation fears from sustained high energy prices. • BlackRock warns elevated oil could shift focus from rate cuts to whether central bank policies can match rising inflation.

• Top-seeded UCLA defeated second-seeded Iowa 96-45 to capture its second consecutive Big Ten Conference Tournament championship, marking the first time in program history the Bruins won back-to-back conference tournament titles. • The 51-point margin of victory set a new Big Ten Tournament Final record, surpassing Iowa's previous record of a 33-point victory over Ohio State in 2023. • UCLA finished the regular season with a perfect 18-0 conference record and undefeated home court record for the first time since 2016-17, becoming just the fourth team in Big Ten history to go undefeated in conference play.

• U.S. stocks deepened losses on Friday, with the S&P 500 falling 1.7% or 108.31 points to close at 6,368.85, marking its fifth straight losing week—the longest streak in nearly four years. • The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 793.47 points or 1.7% to 45,166.64, now more than 10% below its recent record, while the Nasdaq composite sank 459.72 points or 2.1% to 20,948.36. • Big Tech weighed heavily on the market, including drops of 3.1% for Amazon and 3.5% for Meta Platforms, amid ongoing volatility from geopolitical tensions.

• US equity markets including S&P 500 fell 1.9% last week, breaching the 200-day moving average for the first time since May 2025 amid geopolitical tensions and inflation pressures. • Nasdaq 100 dropped 2.0% and Dow Jones 2.1%, with VIX near 27 and CNN Fear and Greed Index at 15 signaling high investor anxiety. • Persistent inflation data and fading AI optimism drove declines, positioning US Tech 100 below key moving averages with risks of further drops to 23,000.

• The S&P 500 fell 1.51% to close at 6,506.48, the Nasdaq dropped 2.01% to 21,647.61, and the Dow declined 0.96% to 45,577.47 on Friday, marking the fourth consecutive weekly loss. • Iran conflict pushed oil prices higher, intensifying inflation expectations and prompting investors to reassess Federal Reserve rate-cut bets; rate futures now suggest potential rate increases rather than cuts by 2026. • Major tech stocks suffered significant losses, with Nvidia and Tesla falling over 3%, while Super Micro Computer plunged 33% following smuggling charge reports linked to AI technology exports.

Markets seem particularly attuned to increasing oil prices, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq down 1.5% and 2% respectivelyUS stock markets dropped again on Friday, capping off a fourth week of market turbulence as investors worried about the US-Israel war on Iran and its widespread impact on global oil prices.The Dow lost over 400 points on Friday, with the S&P 500 slipping 1.5% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq down 2%. Continue reading...

• Portland Trail Blazers beat the Indiana Pacers 127-119 in NBA action on March 18, 2026, extending Indiana's losing streak to 15 consecutive games. • Ivica Zubac led the Pacers with 18 points in the loss, as the team prepares for a two-game road trip starting Saturday in San Antonio. • This defeat highlights Indiana's ongoing struggles late in the season, impacting their playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.