National

Japan won the World Baseball Classic after beating defending champion the U.S. 3-2 in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday night.

Of note: It's Japan's third W.B.C. title and it's first since 2009.

Shohei Ohtani #16 of Team Japan applauds fans after being awarded the MVP following Japan's World Baseball Classic Championship win at loanDepot park on March 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida. 

Shohei Ohtani, #16 of Team Japan and the Los Angeles Angels in Major League Baseball, applauds fans after being given the MVP award by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred (left), following Japan's defeat of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic Championship on March 21. Photo: Eric Espada/Getty Images

Tetsuto Yamada #1 of Team Japan steals second bae as Trea Turner #8 of Team USA attempts to make the tag in the eighth inning during the World Baseball Classic Championship on March 21, 2023 in Miami.

Tetsuto Yamada, #1 of Team Japan, steals second base as Trea Turner, #8 of Team USA, attempts to make the tag in the eighth inning of the World Baseball Classic Championship game on March 21. Photo: Eric Espada/Getty Images

Kyle Schwarber #12 of Team USA reacts after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning against Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic Championship on March 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida. 

Kyle Schwarber, #12 of Team USA, reacts after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning against Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic Championship game on March 21. Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Shohei Ohtani #16 of Team Japan stretches for first base as Paul Goldschmidt #46 of Team USA attempts to make the out in the seventh inning during the World Baseball Classic Championship on March 21.

Ohtani stretches for first base as Paul Goldschmidt, #46 of Team USA, attempts to make the out in the seventh inning of the World Baseball Classic Championship game. Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Go deeper: Sign up for the Axios Sports newsletter

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos.

Miami

Miami Members

Miami Alerts

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Miami.

Axios Miami Thought Bubble

Axios Miami

In photos: Japan beats U.S. to win 2023 World Baseball Classic

: Team Japan celebrates after the final out of the World Baseball Classic Championship defeating Team USA 3-2 at loanDepot park on March 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida.

Team Japan celebrates after the final out of the World Baseball Classic Championship defeating Team USA 3-2 at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on March 21. Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Baseball

Japan won the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Baseball Classic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/08/world-baseball-classic-back-with-more-teams-stars" data-vars-content-id="554d4cc3-605e-4762-8743-0e4c8c118d55" data-vars-headline="In photos: Japan beats U.S. to win 2023 World Baseball Classic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/08/world-baseball-classic-back-with-more-teams-stars" target="_self">World Baseball Classic</a> after beating defending champion <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the U.S." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/21/world-baseball-classic-us-japan-latin-america" data-vars-content-id="554d4cc3-605e-4762-8743-0e4c8c118d55" data-vars-headline="In photos: Japan beats U.S. to win 2023 World Baseball Classic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/21/world-baseball-classic-us-japan-latin-america" target="_self">the U.S.</a> 3-2 in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday night.Of note: It&#x27;s Japan&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="third" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-2023-world-baseball-classic-most-valuable-player-and-all-tournamen" data-vars-content-id="554d4cc3-605e-4762-8743-0e4c8c118d55" data-vars-headline="In photos: Japan beats U.S. to win 2023 World Baseball Classic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-2023-world-baseball-classic-most-valuable-player-and-all-tournamen" target="_blank">third</a> W.B.C. title and it&#x27;s first since 2009.

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

A U.S. District Court judge in Wyoming on Wednesday temporarily blocked a statewide abortion ban that came into effect over the weekend, according to multiple reports.

Driving the news: Judge Melissa Owens granted a restraining order due to a wider lawsuit challenging the state's new law that prohibits abortion at all stages of pregnancy except in cases of rape or incest, or to save a pregnant person's life, and another banning abortion pills that's due to take effect in July, per the New York Times.

The new law that took effect Sunday makes abortions a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and states that "abortion defined in this act is not health care."

Abortion rights groups argue that this violates Wyoming's constitution, which says adults have the right to make their own health care decisions.

What they're saying: "The state cannot legislate away a constitutional right," Owens said, per AP. 

"It’s not clear whether abortion is health care. The court has to then decide that," she added.

What's next: "Now, the medication abortion ban and the overall ban will be considered at a hearing where the plaintiffs will seek an injunction to suspend both laws until the full lawsuit can be heard," the New York Times reports.

Wyoming would be the first U.S. state to ban abortion pills if the law were to go into effect on July 1.

Judge temporarily blocks Wyoming abortion ban

Lawsuit challenging law declaring abortion "not health care" says it violates state constitution.

 Abortion rights protesters during a proteston June 24, 2022 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 

Abortion rights protesters during a demonstration in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, last June. Photo: Natalie Behring/Getty Images

Abortion

Health

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will tell lawmakers Thursday that banning the app in the U.S. would hurt American businesses and the country's economy, according to newly released remarks prepared for his testimony before Congress.

Driving the news: The Biden administration has warned the firm that it faces a ban in the United States if its parents company, ByteDance, doesn't sell its stake in the U.S. version of the app amid national security concerns, per Axios' Sara Fischer and Ashley Gold.

What he's saying: "We do not believe that a ban that hurts American small businesses, damages the country's economy, silences the voices of over 150 million Americans, and reduces competition in an increasingly concentrated market is the solution to a solvable problem," Chew states in the prepared testimony, released by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday night.

"Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country. ... Rather, our approach has been to work transparently and cooperatively with the U.S. government and Oracle to design robust solutions to address concerns about TikTok’s heritage," Chew continues.

"We also look forward to partnering with the Committee on developing clear, consistent rules for the entire industry."

The big picture: China's ruling Communist Party has said there's no evidence that TikTok threatens national security.

But FBI director Chris Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month that Beijing has the ability to control the software on millions of devices due to its relationship with ByteDance.

More than a dozen countries have introduced full, partial or public sector bans on TikTok due to national security concerns.

Of note: Chew posted a video on TikTok filmed in Washington, D.C., earlier Tuesday ahead of his congressional appearance to say he's "super excited to announce" that the platform has over 150 million users in the U.S.

"That's almost half the U.S. coming to TikTok to connect, to create, to share, to learn, or just to have some fun," Chew said. "This includes 5 million businesses that use TikTok to reach their customers. And the majority of these are small and medium businesses."

He appealed directly to TikTok users in the video, saying: "Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok. This could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you."

What we're watching: In his prepared remarks, Chew pledged to keep TikTok's American users safe by making four key commitments:

"We will keep safety — particularly for teenagers — a top priority for us;

"We will firewall protected U.S. user data from unauthorized foreign access;

"Tiktok will remain a platform for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government; 

"We will be transparent and give access to third-party independent monitors, to remain accountable for our commitments."

Go deeper: The political realities that make a national TikTok ban tricky

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

TikTok CEO to tell Congress app ban would hurt U.S. economy

"ByteDance is not an agent of China," he said of TikTok's parent company in his testimony.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Washington, D.C., in February. Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

TikTok

China

TikTok CEO <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Shou Zi Chew" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/17/tiktok-ceo-forced-sale-wont-address-security-concerns" data-vars-content-id="7af926b3-6da3-4e04-ae9e-a6420e0ad8a1" data-vars-headline="TikTok CEO to tell Congress app ban would hurt U.S. economy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/17/tiktok-ceo-forced-sale-wont-address-security-concerns" target="_self">Shou Zi Chew</a> will tell lawmakers Thursday that banning the app in the U.S. would hurt American businesses and the country&#x27;s economy, according to newly released remarks prepared for his testimony before Congress.Driving the news: The Biden administration has warned the firm that it <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="faces a ban" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/16/us-tells-tiktok-ban-sale-cfius" data-vars-content-id="7af926b3-6da3-4e04-ae9e-a6420e0ad8a1" data-vars-headline="TikTok CEO to tell Congress app ban would hurt U.S. economy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/16/us-tells-tiktok-ban-sale-cfius" target="_self">faces a ban</a> in the United States if its parents company, ByteDance, doesn&#x27;t sell its stake in the U.S. version of the app amid national security concerns, per Axios&#x27; Sara Fischer and Ashley Gold.

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

U.S.-Saudi dual national Saad Ibrahim Almadi has been released from prison in Saudi Arabia over a year after he was detained for posting tweets critical of the kingdom's rulers.

Yes, but: The 72-year-old is still under a Saudi imposed travel ban that prohibits him from returning home to Florida.

The big picture: Almadi was arrested in November 2021 and sentenced last October to 16 years in prison over the tweets about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whom U.S. intelligence officials concluded was killed in an operation authorized by MBS — a conclusion Saudi officials rejected.

An appeals court last month increased Almadi's sentence to 19 years, per the BBC.

What they're saying: State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel welcomed Almadi's release during a briefing on Wednesday, but declined to comment on the travel ban, saying "each country is going to have its own sovereign laws and each case is different."

Abdullah Alaoudh, Saudi director at the U.S.-based group Freedom Initiative, said in a statement he's "relieved" Almadi has been released, but added that "he should have never spent a day behind bars for innocuous tweets."

He urged U.S. officials to press for the lifting of travel bans and the release of other prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

The detained man's son, Ibrahim Almadi, issued a statement following his father's release saying he hoped they could be reunited in Florida soon.

A screenshot of a tweet by Ibrahim Almadi saying he hopes he and his father Saad Ibrahim Almadi could be reunited in Florida soon now he's been released from Saudi prison..

Saudi Arabia releases American imprisoned for tweets about MBS

Advocates are urging U.S. officials to press Saudi Arabia to let Saad Ibrahim Almadi return to Florida.

 A billboard shows Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz (R) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman hanging over a highway on June 20, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

A billboard shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (L) and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz displayed above a highway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Saudi Arabia

U.S.-Saudi dual national <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Saad Ibrahim Almadi" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/19/saudi-arabia-american-citizen-imprisoned-tweets" data-vars-content-id="a357f80e-88ff-42ea-afa7-6a42f357fe50" data-vars-headline="Saudi Arabia releases American imprisoned for tweets about MBS" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/19/saudi-arabia-american-citizen-imprisoned-tweets" target="_self">Saad Ibrahim Almadi</a> has been released from prison in Saudi Arabia over a year after he was detained for posting tweets critical of the kingdom&#x27;s rulers.Yes, but: The 72-year-old is still under a Saudi imposed travel ban that prohibits him from returning home to Florida.

The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday night it's stepping up efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking across the Southern border with the launch of a major new, multi-agency operation.

Driving the news: "Operation Blue Lotus" has already "stopped more than 900 pounds of fentanyl from coming into the United States in its first week," per a DHS statement.

A screenshot of a DHS tweet announcing a new fentanyl  trafficking crackdown, Operation Blue Lotus, "has led to:    ✔️ 18 seizures  ✔️ 16 federal arrests  ✔️ 2 state arrests."

The "coordinated surge operation" that launched on March 13 includes "an increase in targeted inspections" by Customs and Border Patrol officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents, canine units and advanced technology at locations along the border, per the DHS.

Why it matters: Fentanyl is much more potent than prescription opioids and it's been linked to an increase in drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in recent years, per the National Institutes of Health.

A record 107,622 people died from overdosing in the U.S. in 2021 and the vast majority was caused by fentanyl, according to the latest available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

"President Biden's Republican critics blame his border policies for the crisis, saying U.S. authorities are too busy to stop illegal drugs from entering the United States because they're contending with record numbers of migrants," the Washington Post notes.

Details: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the new operation following a meeting with CBP officials at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, after touring the border with state Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) on Tuesday.

Mayorkas said in a statement it's part of the Biden administration's "multi-pronged strategy to combat the scourge of fentanyl that is devastating communities across the United States" and noted that the DHS has in the past two years "seized more fentanyl than the previous five years combined."

He said during a news conference that "Operation Blue Lotus" marked a "monumental shift" and an example of how the Biden administration is "taking it to the cartels, to the traffickers and we will not stop."

Of note: "Operation Blue Lotus" has also prevented more than 700 pounds of methamphetamines and over 100 pounds of cocaine from entering the U.S., according to the DHS.

DHS launches major border operation targeting fentanyl trafficking

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas hailed "Operation Blue Lotus" as a "monumental shift" during a visit to the border.

A US Customs and Border Protection agent weighs a package of Fentanyl at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on October 2, 2019 in San Ysidro, California. 

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent weighs a package of fentanyl at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Ysidro, California, in 2019. Photo: Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images

Fentanyl

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Department of Homeland Security" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2019/04/16/fentanyl-dhs-weapon-of-mass-destruction" data-vars-content-id="c6c92909-96e2-4c13-ae1c-9c9a8cbac468" data-vars-headline="DHS launches major border operation targeting fentanyl trafficking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2019/04/16/fentanyl-dhs-weapon-of-mass-destruction" target="_self">Department of Homeland Security</a> announced Tuesday night it&#x27;s stepping up efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking across the Southern border with the launch of a major new, multi-agency operation.Driving the news: &quot;Operation Blue Lotus&quot; has already &quot;stopped more than 900 pounds of fentanyl from coming into the United States in its first week,&quot; per a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="DHS statement" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/03/21/dhss-new-operation-blue-lotus-has-already-stopped-more-900-pounds-fentanyl-entering" data-vars-content-id="c6c92909-96e2-4c13-ae1c-9c9a8cbac468" data-vars-headline="DHS launches major border operation targeting fentanyl trafficking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/03/21/dhss-new-operation-blue-lotus-has-already-stopped-more-900-pounds-fentanyl-entering" target="_blank">DHS statement</a>.

Rebecca Falconer

Stories

Judge temporarily blocks Wyoming abortion ban

DHS launches major border operation targeting fentanyl trafficking

In photos: Japan beats U.S. to win 2023 World Baseball Classic

TikTok CEO to tell Congress app ban would hurt U.S. economy

Saudi Arabia releases American imprisoned for tweets about MBS