Texas
Pop Isaacs, Texas Tech basketball finding catharsis in the chaos
Pop Isaacs credits his Texas Tech basketball teammates for having his back
Coming off a career-high 32 points, Pop Isaacs credited his Texas Tech basketball team for having his back since he was named in a civil lawsuit.
Nobody had to tell Pop Isaacs it was a must-win game Saturday in United Supermarkets Arena.
Playing in front of an announced sellout of 15,098 fans against another ranked opponent, the Texas Tech basketball team didn’t want to follow up Wednesday’s tail-whooping by No. 5 Houston with a clunker against No. 20 BYU.
The Red Raiders have had better halves of basketball than the first session against BYU. Grant McCasland likened Tech’s 48-32 halftime deficit to the team’s troubling half against Northern Iowa in the Bahamas during the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Texas Tech came back to win that game after being down 15 points. Adding another two points to the deficit against BYU was a new challenge, but one Isaacs was ready for.
ABOUT THE GAME: Pop Isaacs ignites No. 25 Texas Tech basketball comeback against No. 20 BYU: 3 takeaways
“I just didn’t want to let us lose,” Isaacs said. “That was my biggest thing. Anything it was gonna take to win, that’s what I was trying to do.”
McCasland said earlier this year that Isaacs can sometimes get too amped playing in front of the home fans, that he can try to put on too much of a show. That wasn’t a negative for Isaacs on Saturday.
“I love playing in this gym, man,” Isaacs said. “It’s so fun.”
In the second half alone, Isaacs was 8-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range, totaling 23 points. He also had four rebounds, four assists and two steals in his 18 minutes on the floor.
By the end of Tech’s 85-78 comeback victory, Isaacs set new career highs in points (32), made field goals (11), and made 3s (6).
After his historic day, Isaacs spoke to the media for the first time since being named in a civil lawsuit accusing him of “sexual abuse towards a minor” during the team’s Bahamas trip. Since the lawsuit became public Jan. 5, Isaacs said, all things considered, the last few weeks have been good for him.
“My teammates have been there for me,” Isaacs said. “They’ve had my back. I’ve been having fun playing the game of basketball, playing the game I love. Honestly, everything’s been pretty good.”
It doesn’t hurt he and his teammates have on-court matters to attend to. Beating BYU gives the Red Raiders (15-3, 4-1) their second win over a ranked team this season and keeps them tied atop the Big 12 standings for at least another week — along with Kansas State, which is also 4-1 in league play.
Isaacs said he’s not sure if McCasland pays attention to Big 12 happenings outside of their own team, but the players sure do.
“We always want to stay a step ahead in the standings and stuff like that,” Isaacs said. “You’re gonna get your bumps and bruises along the way.”
PREDICTION HOLDS UP: No. 25 Texas Tech basketball looks to avoid skid with No. 20 BYU in town: Scouting report, predictions
On Saturday, he was sporting one of those bruises from the loss to Houston on Wednesday. Isaacs still had a bandage across his left eye necessitated from the physical encounter against the fifth-ranked Cougars. No blood was shed in Saturday’s contest, thankfully. It just took a major second-half turnaround, and for Isaacs to take the lead.
“He did what he does,” BYU’s Richie Saunders said. “He makes shots. That’s what he did.”
Texas Tech has now overcome double-digit deficits three times this year: the UNI game in November, plus each of the last two home games. McCasland would probably like to spare some of the drama, but he’s not questioning the results so far.
“If you want to be the toughest team, and you really believe that, then it’s 40 minutes,” McCasland said. “It doesn’t ever stop. It doesn’t matter what the score is. … I don’t really care what the score is. There’s a way to play this game and if you don’t play it with that grit, it doesn’t matter. The score is always going to not be in your favor.
“I’ll tell you, with this team, they do believe and they do see that.”
Just days before Mother’s Day, a North Texas father is grieving the sudden loss of his wife and unborn son after she died unexpectedly, only days before her due date. Avi Carey said he is still in shock over the death of his wife, Tiffany, whom he described as his “rock” and “soulmate.”
“Tiffany’s smile, her radiance, her presence … she didn’t meet a stranger,” Carey said.
Nearly two decades together
The couple had been together for nearly two decades, raising two children, Kingston and Kasyn, and preparing to welcome their third child, a baby boy they planned to name Kylo.
Carey said Tiffany began complaining of a severe headache just days before she was due to give birth. He recalled her sitting on the couch, dozing off multiple times – something he said was unusual.
A short time later, Carey found her unresponsive.
“I saw her face … her lips were blue. And I already knew,” he said with tears in his eyes.
A celebration turned to heartbreak
Tiffany Carey and her unborn son died May 2, leaving behind a grieving husband and two children. The loss came less than a week after the family had celebrated a baby shower.
“We went from celebrating the baby shower to planning a funeral in less than five days,” Carey said.
A crisis affecting Black mothers
Health officials say cases like this highlight a broader crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy‑related causes, and most of those deaths – around 80% – are considered preventable.
Carey said he is still searching for answers and now lives with questions about whether warning signs were missed.
“I would say educate yourself. Take everything seriously,” he said. “That should have been a red flag … the headache.”
Honoring Tiffany’s legacy
Now, surrounded by baby supplies meant for a child who never arrived, Carey said he is focused on honoring Tiffany’s memory and raising their children with the values she lived by.
“She always said, ‘You’ve got to lead with love,’” he said. “She did that in everything.”
Trump administration to release UFO files soon, president says
President Trump said his administration plans to release information and materials relating to UFOs.
Ever look up at the vast Texas sky and see something move across it? It could be a shooting star, a satellite — or a UFO.
The Pentagon released several documents Friday, May 8, detailing sightings of unidentified flying objects, or “bogeys,” in U.S. airspace, including reports from Texas.
The documents were released by the U.S. Department of Defense at the directive of President Donald Trump, marking the release of government files related to “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” and UFOs.
“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a statement.
Here’s a look at the files related to Texas.
UFO spotted in 1948 above Abilene, Texas
A DoD incident summary shows that on Jan. 1, 1948, a man identified as “Mr. A. Schroeder” reported a UFO in the 1100 block of Highland Ave in Abilene, Texas.
Schroeder reported seeing a stationary bright blue-green bell-shaped object in the western sky above Abilene at 1:25 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.
Fort Worth man sees UFO above Alaska
Also in 1948, Lt. Aytch Johnson noticed a silver flat disk in the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska.
According to the incident report, the Fort Worth man observed the object flying over Alaska at around 1:06 p.m. on April 18, 1948, at an estimated speed of 250 to 300 miles per hour.
The report also noted that the sighting “may have been the reflection of sun from wings” of aircrafts flying in the area at the time.
Possible UFO sighting during the NASA Gemini 7 space launch
The DoD released the transcript and audio file of NASA’s Gemini 7 mission in 1965 when astronaut Frank Borman reported to NASA mission control in Houston his sighting of an unidentified object, which he referred to as a “bogey.”
While the launch didn’t take place in Texas, the report came back to space control in Houston.
The conversation occurred on Dec. 5, 1965 — 4 hours and 24 minutes into the flight — when Borman notified space control that there was a “bogey” on their left-hand side.
When asked to clarify what they are seeing, Borman said he was seeing “hundreds of little particles” on their left, about three to four miles away.
As NASA Public Affairs clarified, the bogey was an unidentified object, along with the particles.
Pentagon documents report of other possible sightings in Texas
Some documents have connections or reports of possible UFO sightings in Texas, but are missing details to understand the situation.
For example, the DoD received a clipping from the Yoakum Times-Record reporting UFO sightings by Mrs. Anna Banys in 1947, but it is unclear why she was writing to the DoD.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
Concern over effectiveness of AMBER Alerts
For nearly 30 years, the AMBER Alert has helped locate hundreds of children, but one of its founders believes changes should be made to make the emergency alert system more effective.
Fox – 7 Austin
An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl abducted from Louisiana who was last seen in North Texas.
Merlin Chirinos-Argueta was last seen around 7:10 p.m. May 7 in Allen, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Authorities say the teen was abducted from Keithville, Louisiana, and may be traveling in Texas
Chirinos-Argueta is described as a 13-year-old Hispanic girl with black hair and brown eyes. She is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds, officials said.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said Merlin was reported missing Thursday. May 7 from the 6200 block of Bain Boulevard in Keithville. Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. said investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating the teen.
Investigators believe she may be with 18-year-old Daniel Vasquez Mejia, who has black hair and brown eyes.
Merlin has not been in contact with her family, which has raised concerns for her safety and well-being, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.
Authorities say they may be traveling in a white Chevrolet SUV with Texas license plate VML6061. The vehicle is believed to have a skull sticker on the rear driver’s side back window and a “mojo” sticker on the passenger side rear window.
Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or contact the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-675-2170.
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