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US President Donald Trump mused over whether he would have the "honor of taking Cuba" on Monday, the same day the communist-run island's electricity grid suffered its first nationwide collapse since the US effectively shut off the flow of oil to the country.

"You know, all my life I've been hearing about United States and Cuba, when will the United States having the honor of taking Cuba? That's a big honor," Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office. "Taking Cuba in some form, yeah, taking Cuba — I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it."

Pressed on if a US military operation in Cuba would mirror January's capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela or would look more like the United States' continued military conflict with Iran, Trump told reporters: "I can't tell you that."

Trump's comments came as Cuba was once again plunged into darkness through a power failure. There were no faults detected in the electrical units operating at the time Cuba's grid collapsed, the state-owned grid operator said on Monday, adding it was working to restore power across the country.

Cuba heavily relies on oil for electricity generation. Washington's effective blockade of fuel shipments has worsened the country's energy crisis, causing intermittent power cuts, a rationing of medical supplies and a decrease in tourism, officials have said. Fuel prices have skyrocketed so much that gas can be as much as $9 a liter on the unofficial market, meaning it costs more than $300 to fill up a car's gas tank, which is more than most Cubans earn in a year.

Nationwide power outageshave been reported frequently over the past few years. Cuban officials have previously attributed them to US economic sanctions, though critics have also faulted a lack of investment in the island's ailing generation system.

CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.

"Officials in the US (government) must be feeling very happy by the harm caused to every Cuban family," Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said in response to Monday's blackout.

Miguel, an Airbnb host in the beach resort of Varadero, told CNN that the city is often spared from blackouts but this outage has affected them, too, given its scope.

Havana resident Dayana Machin told Reuters that the latest power outage doesn't surprise her and that civilians should prepare themselves "with wood-burning stoves, with solar panels for those who could get them, with some water reserves for people who have water problems, with some gas reserves for those who have them."

Musician Lazaro Caron said the blackout would affect his work, but acknowledged that "there's nothing we can do but face it and keep moving forward, see what happens."

On Saturday, residents of the central Cuban city of Morón took to the streets to protest problems with the electricity supply and access to food.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday that no oil had been delivered to the island in the last three months. He also said on Friday that Cuban officialshave held talkswith the United States to "identify the bilateral problems that need a solution."

"The impact (of the blockade) is tremendous. It is most brutally manifested in these energy issues," the president said. "This causes anguish among the population."

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In response to the energy crisis, the government has announced emergency measures including reduced school hours, postponing major sporting and cultural events and cutting transport services.

Many government-run hospitals have cut services, and lack of fuel and working dump trucks has caused trash to pile up across whole neighborhoods.

On nearly every street corner, conversations center on when power cuts are taking place and for how long. At night in Havana, the stars are often clearly visible as most of the city is swathed in near total darkness.

Sales of fuel at government-run gas stations are now highly restricted. Only tourists, diplomats and Cubans who have been granted a slot using an online system are allowed to fill up – usually after waiting for hours.

Recent data shows a steep decline in internet traffic in Cuba amid the energy crisis, according to Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at network monitoring company Kentik. "At the latest measurement, Cuba is at only one-third of its normal traffic volume at this time of day," he told CNN.

Airlines from numerous countries have cancelled flights to Cuba due to a shortage of aviation fuel and other insecurity. American Airlines, Delta and Jet Blue have halted services to the Caribbean Island.

Canada's largest airline Air Canada announced last month that it was suspending flights to Cuba due to a shortage of aviation fuel on the island. The pause in service is expected to last until November 1, it said.

US President Donald Trump said last week that Cuba is in "deep trouble" and that the United States may or may not be a part of a "friendly takeover" of the country. "They're down to, as they say, fumes," he said.

The US disrupted Cuba'soil suppliesfrom Venezuela after removing that country's president from power in early January.

Later, it threatened tariffs on other nations that export oil to Cuba, claiming that Havana posed an "extraordinary threat" by aligning itself with "hostile countries and malign actors, (and) hosting their military and intelligence capabilities."

Cuba has rejected the claim and urged the US to ease its pressure campaign.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN's Billy Stockwell and Donald Judd contributed reporting.

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A US Navy warship believed to be carrying thousands of Marines and sailors to theMiddle Eastis nearing the Malacca Strait off Singapore as it makes its way to the region, maritime trackingdata showedTuesday.

The amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli was approaching Singapore, at the southwestern edge of the South China Sea, Tuesday morning, according to AIS tracking data seen by CNN.

US Navy ships often move with AIS transponders turned off. Revealing their positions while transiting areas with heavy maritime traffic, like the waters around Singapore, enables safer operations.

The Tripoli is believed to be carrying troops from the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), a rapid-response force of 2,200 personnel, after the Pentagonordered the unit to deploy, according to three officials familiar with the plans.

CNN has asked the US Navy's 7th Fleet and 5th Fleet for comment.

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Officials told CNN the unit was being sent to the Middle East, without revealing exactly where it would be deployed or what it would be used for.

An MEU consists of four elements: command, ground combat, air combat and logistics combat. MEUs typically have been used for missions like evacuations and amphibious operations that require ship-to-shore movements, like raids and assaults. They also have ground and aviation combat components, and some units are trained for special operations.

Marinetraffic.comshowed a track for an "unspecified US warship" departing Okinawa on March 11, through the South China Sea and nearing Singapore Tuesday morning at a speed of about 22 mph.

Based in Sasebo, Japan, the Tripoli, almost 850 feet long and displacing 45,000 tons, is essentially a small aircraft carrier an d carries F-35 stealth fighters and MV-22 Osprey transports as well as landing craft to move troops ashore.

It is the lead ship in an amphibious ready group, which would normally include the amphibious transport docks USS New Orleans and USS San Diego. CNN could not confirm the presence of those smaller ships with the Tripoli in maritime tracking sites Tuesday.

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A deep freeze across the South, a spreading heat wave in the West and a trail of high winds and downpours leaving the East are in the forecast on March 17 after a weekend of bizarre weather across the country.

On the heels of amajor storm that delivered downpours, high winds and thunderstormsalong the U.S. East Coast, the National Weather Service is predicting a "quieter" period of weather for many. Still, an early heat wave is making it feel like summer in Southern California, and temperatures in the triple digits will spread across the Desert Southwest by the middle of the week.

"Temperatures this hot so early in the year could shatter high temperatures records by as much as 10 degrees," the weather service said.

As the heat dome spreads, over 70 million people could be impacted and put a strain on water resources, reported AccuWeather.

The extreme opposite is happening in the Deep South the morning of March 17: More than 53 million Americans awoke to a freeze warning blanketing states in a stretch from east Texas to South Carolina.

Tornado touches down in Charlotte after warnings across the East

Thesevere weather outbreak on March 16knocked power out for hundreds of thousands of people and prompted flight cancellations, school closures and early closures of government offices. Tornado watches blanketed much of the East Coast.

A tornado was confirmed to have touched down in Charlotte, North Carolina, the morning of March 16, according to the weather service office for Greenville and Spartanburg. The EF-0 tornado with estimated peak wind speeds of 85 mph touched down at around 9:39 a.m. and stayed on the ground for almost a mile and a half, the office said. No injuries or deaths werereported.

The weather service said the morning of March 17 that a "deep cyclone" and a cold front were moving through New England before exiting up into Canada later in the day. In the meantime, gusty winds, downpours and falling temperatures are continuing.

Temperature extremes across the US: Record lows and highs possible

Low temperatures across the South the morning of March 17 were expected to be in the 20s and 30s, with lower temperatures at higher elevations and wind chills in the teens. Record lows are also possible overnight into the morning of March 18 across the region, the weather service said.

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Across the Desert Southwest, widespread high temperatures in the 90s are expected, with several major cities expected to reach triple digits this week, AccuWeather reported. Extreme heat warnings were in place on March 17 across Southern California, southern Nevada and much of Arizona.

Phoenix could see highs of around 106 degrees from March 19 through the weekend, which would be 20 to 30 degrees above the historical average for this time of year, the outlet reported. Las Vegas could hit 100 degrees this week, weeks ahead of the usual timing.

Los Angeles could challenge its all-time March record of 99 degrees this week. Even San Francisco could reach the low 80s, breaking decades-old records.

"Record highs are likely or possible from California to the Rockies, including Salt Lake City, Albuquerque and Denver," AccuWeather reported.

Kona storm devastates Hawaii with deluge of rain, winds

A dayslong "kona storm" caused heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging windsacross much of the Hawaiian Islands through the weekend, with the southern parts of Maui and Big Island hit the hardest, the weather service in Honolulu said.

Homes and businesses were flooded and roads were closed. In Kihei, Maui County, a video showed homes partially collapsed from flooding. Downed trees and power lines caused power outages and damage to roofs, the weather service there said.

Between March 11 and March 15, feet of rain fell, with the highest recorded totals around 4 feet on the Island of Maui in the Kula area. Summits across the islands saw the highest rainfall totals.

These were the highest recorded wind gusts:

• Kaiaulu Puu Waawaa, Big Island: 135 mph

• Mauna Kea Summit, Big Island: 110 mph

• Kula, Maui: 108 mph

• Waimea, Kauai: 96 mph

• Makapuu Beach, Oahu: 81 mph

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Record-breaking temps, wind and rain follow bizarre weather outbreak

The Houston Rockets traded for Kevin Durant in the offseason to give the teama veteran leader and offensive superstar. While that pairing has mostly worked out well this season, things didn't quite come together Monday night.

The Rockets struggled in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers,falling 100-92. It marked the second time in the last three games that Houston failed to reach 100 points. The team also had a hard time hitting from long range, shooting an abysmal 19% from beyond the arc.

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While Durant called out the latter issue following the loss, heput most of the blame on himself, saying, "I lost the game for us tonight," per ESPN.

"I just felt like I lost the game for us tonight," said Durant, who scored only two of his 18 points in the second half and committed seven of the Rockets' 24 turnovers. "It's that simple. Of course we probably could make more 3s, but it's on me. I mean, to be honest, I'm the offense and the opposing team is going to use all their resources and not let me get comfortable."

Durant finished the contest with 18 points. He went 8-of-16 from the field, but was 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also gave the ball away too much, turning it over seven times.

Most of those struggles came in the second half, when the Lakers started double-teaming Durant. He went just 1-of-5 from the floor during the second half, and registered six of his seven turnovers once the Lakers started to apply more pressure.

The Rockets will need to figure out a way to beat that strategy in time for the playoffs. At 41-26, they're firmly in the hunt in the Western Conference. In order to pull off some upsets in the postseason, however, someone other than Durant will need to step up when opposing teams start sending multiple resources at the future Hall of Famer.

Within the top-120 picks — roughly 10 rounds of a 12-team league — there are 30 starting pitchers drafted in Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues. That includes Spencer Schwellenbach, who should be falling in drafts based on the elbow surgery he sustained in February. Around 10-11 relievers go within the top-120 picks in drafts, which follows a similar trend to high-stakes NFBC leagues, though they tend to go earlier in those formats.

Other interesting positional notes include six second and third basemen going inside the top-100 picks, making it a somewhat top-heavy position. When we remove the infield and outfield eligible players, 25 outfielders are going within the top-100 picks in Yahoo leagues. Since Yahoo leagues have one catcher spot, drafters can find value throughout the draft, with Cal Raleigh as the only catcher eligible player going within the top-50 picks. Five catchers go within the top-50 picks on Yahoo. Catcher tends to be a position to wait on in Yahoo formats, but prioritize the position in two-catcher leagues.

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Meanwhile, shortstop is one of the deepest positions, with 13 players going within the top-100 picks. We also have nine more shortstop-eligible players from picks 100-200, showing it can be a position to wait on or use in a utility spot. For leagues with middle infield spots, finding two shortstop-eligible players will likely fill those positions. Like second and third base, the first base position looks somewhat top-heavy, including seven within the top 50 and 12 going inside the top-100 picks. That includes Ben Rice and Salvador Pérez, who also have catcher eligibility.

Use average draft position as a map to find how the market tends to value certain positions as a starting point for your draft strategy, assuming fantasy managers have already reviewed the league rules and format. Potential value picks can be found later in the draft, but we should be studying the market prices.

Finding Values in Final Five Rounds

Most standard Yahoo leagues have 23 rounds, meaning 230 picks are made in 10-team leagues and 276 selections in 12-teamers. That said, we'll use an arbitrary number of pick 175 and beyond, to find potential values as we're building from the back, meaning the final handful of rounds or so. We have 23 pitchers going at pick 175 and beyond, including a few closer sleepers like Dennis Santana and Ryan Walker. This also looks like the range of sleeper starting pitchers and questionable arms, including Andrew Abbott, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, Zac Gallen, Reid Detmers and Drew Rasmussen.

Unfortunately, we can't filter by scoring formats because we have some relievers that might be speculative options or ones drafted in saves plus holds leagues. Those relievers include Robert Suárez, Tyler Rogers, Matt Strahm, Alex Vesia, Luke Weaver, Kyle Finnegan and Garrett Whitlock. Or there's a chance these pitchers have been drafted there for ratio stabilization in head-to-head category leagues. Then we have veterans and pitchers with risk like Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Aaron Nola and Roki Sasaki. In Yahoo formats, Cole, Rodón, Nola and Sasaki can be low-risk, high-reward pitchers as one of the final picks.

On the hitter end, it's a fun group, including veterans, bounce-back candidates and undervalued players based on the format. If fantasy managers waited on catchers until pick 175, it's time to look for one like Alejandro Kirk, Dillon Dingler, J.T. Realmuto, Carson Kelly and Austin Wells, though Kirk and Realmuto have the clearest path to volume. Dingler has been recovering from elbow surgery in late January, so it's something to monitor from a health standpoint. If these options make you feel uneasy, it's a sign to prioritize a catcher earlier.

Veterans like Christian Walker, Marcus Semien, Gleyber Torres, Max Muncy (Dodgers), Ryan McMahon, Jorge Polanco, Nolan Arenado and Giancarlo Stanton go within picks 175 and 230. Besides Torres, Polanco and Semien, to an extent, the rest have concerns depending on the scoring format. However, the most intriguing hitters in this range include Bryan Reynolds, Alec Burleson, Brenton Doyle, Spencer Torkelson, Brendan Donovan and JJ Wetherholt. Two stolen-base targets are in the 175-230 pick range, like Chandler Simpson and Andrés Giménez, though they might not be reliable options in shallower formats.

Hitter Values Late in Drafts

Alec Burleson, 1B/OF, STL

Alec Burleson has been sneakily productive with 18-20 home runs, a handful of steals and a quality batting average over the past two seasons. Burleson showed strong plate discipline with an above-average contact rate (84%). That gives Burleson a floor to build upon as he compiles counting stats. Burleson's power skills have been higher than the league average, given his 7.3% barrel per plate appearance rate.

That aligns with Burleson's bat speed increasing to a career best at 72.4 mph and 29.2% fast swing rate, slightly higher than the league norms in bat speed (71.7 mph) and fast swing rate (23.6%). One way to visualize Burleson as a good hitter is his success across multiple pitch types, with a wOBA of .329 or higher against all three. Unfortunately, the home park doesn't do Burleson any favors,ranking 23rd in home run park factors for left-handed hitters.

Although Burleson lacks significant upside, there can be value from consistency and strong plate discipline for a hitter who will accumulate plate appearances while hitting in the top third of a below-average projected lineup.

Bryan Reynolds, OF, PIT

When we examine Bryan Reynolds' skills, most advanced metrics are similar in 2025 to previous seasons. That hints at a bounce-back season for Reynolds, who used to be a steady producer for four consecutive seasons. Reynolds' 84.4% zone contact rate and 70.8% zone swing rate remained within one percentage point of his career averages. He slightly increased his bat speed to 72.2 mph in 2025 from 71.6 mph in 2024. It's worth highlighting that Reynolds's bat speed was around 2 mph faster from the right side as a switch-hitter.

The same goes for the speed and athleticism data, but Reynolds ran fewer times in 2025. Reynolds' stolen base opportunity rate fell to 3% while converting only 60% of his attempts. Although Reynolds had a 5% career stolen-base opportunity rate, he typically had 75% of his chances throughout his career. If Reynolds doesn't run as often, his stolen bases will be below five, as we saw in 2025; the floor in the range of outcomes.

Know your draft format and wait on Reynolds as a third outfielder or utility-spot option since the skills suggest he should bounce back to something in between 2024 and 2025.

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Hitter Wild card: JJ Wetherholt, 2B/SS, STL

Thankfully, we have Statcast data in minor league ballparks, so we have an idea of a player's plate discipline and exit velocities for JJ Wetherholt. He didn't chase (22.2%) and made an above-average contact rate (80.8%) in Triple-A last season. Like many young hitters, Wetherholt's launch angles could be an issue, with a 12-degree launch angle and 43% groundball rate. In the spring training small sample, we've seen Wetherholt's launch angle at 24 degrees. However, Wetherholt boasted an above-average barrel rate (8.7%) and 94.3 mph exit velocity on flyballs and line drives, showing he can hit the ball hard when he elevates it in the minor league sample.

Wetherholt has been penciled into the starting lineup for the Cardinals, though he hasn't been added to the 40-man roster yet as a non-roster invitee to spring training. There's a good chance Wetherholt breaks camp with the team or shortly after the season starts. The projections have a fair expectation of double-digit home runs and stolen bases with a .250 batting average based on the peak projection systems. In Yahoo leagues, it's worth taking a chance on Wetherholt as a low-risk, high-upside player, with the potential to stash in an N/A spot if he starts in the minors.

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Pitcher Values Late in Drafts

Shota Imanaga, SP, CHC

Shota Imanaga went from outperforming his expected ERA (3.75) in 2024 to finishing nearly identical to the expected numbers in 2025 (3.73). Unfortunately, Imanaga's 4.46 xERA suggests he was lucky in 2025. Imanaga has strong control with a 31-32% ball rate and an above-average 13.9% swinging-strike rate throughout his career. That suggests Imanaga possesses above-average skills, including a splitter that generates an 18.7% swinging-strike rate in 2025, down from 26.2% in 2024.

Besides Imanaga's splitter, his slider has been somewhat effective from a whiff standpoint, evidenced by a 15.4% swinging-strike rate in 2025. He tends to use a sweeping slider as his second-most used pitch (33.3%) in 2025. That's helpful because Imanaga's sweeper allows a .213 wOBA (.228 xwOBA) against left-handed hitters. Furthermore, Imanaga throws a high spin four-seamer (2,482 RPM) that he locates in the upper third of the zone with 18 inches of induced vertical break (IVB). He lacks extension, so he needs to rely upon the high-spin four-seamer and locations.

It's unusual to find above-average skills from a starting pitcher in the final rounds of Yahoo leagues. Trust Imanaga's skills and soak up the discounted draft price as a mid-to-late-round sleeper.

Drew Rasmussen, SP, TB

Injuries have previously been a concern for Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen threw over 100 innings once in 2022 before hitting 150 in 2025. He was fortunate last season with a 3.59 xERA, nearly a full run higher than his actual ERA (2.76). Rasmussen showed solid control with a 33% ball rate. However, his swinging-strike rate fell to 10.1% in 2025 compared to his career average (11.6%). The home ballpark was an issue.

It's worth highlighting that Rasmussen was pitching in a minor league ballpark in 2025. The Rays played in George Steinbrenner Field, which ranked 14th in strikeout and sixth in home run park factors. For context, the Rays' home park ranked third in strikeout and 14th in home run park factors throughout the previous two seasons (2023-2024). That tells us Rasmussen's stuff and strikeout skills should see an uptick at home in the Rays' home park in 2026.

We can see some of those hints via the pitch movement profiles for Rasmussen. He lost nearly an inch of IVB on the four-seam, with the cutter losing nearly six inches of downward movement. That was further evident in Rasmussen's cutter (13.2%) and four-seam (10%) losing whiffs compared to 2024. However, Rasmussen's pitch level swinging-strike rates in 2025 weren't far from the career averages.

The Rays value stuff, and Rasmussen fits the mold with four pitches, evidenced by an above-average grade in the Stuff+ models. Target Rasmussen later in drafts.

Pitcher Wild card: Roki Sasaki, SP, LAD

After plenty of hype for Roki Sasaki last season, he missed over four months with a right shoulder impingement injury. Sasaki returned in late September, with the Dodgers deploying him out of the bullpen. He recorded saves across 10 innings in nine appearances during the playoffs. However, the Dodgers have reported that he will be in the starting rotation for the 2026 season.

Keep in mind, we're dealing with a tiny 36-inning sample from 2025, with terrible small-sample skills. That's evident in Sasaki's 41% ball rate and 9.1% swinging-strike rate in 2025. Sasaki's primary whiff pitch wasn't great, with a 14.4% swinging-strike rate, over three percentage points below the league average. However, let's dig deeper to examine Sasaki's pitch-level movement profiles to find optimism. Fernando Cruz and Logan Gilbert's splitters might be the most comparable from a velocity and movement profile standpoint.

Sasaki's splitter is nasty from a movement standpoint, with 42.1 inches of downward movement. That translated to Sasaki's splitter generating 8.2 inches beyond the average pitch, ranking first among right-handed pitchers. It's this weird and deadly splitter with a low spin rate (second-lowest among all splitters), leading to tons of downward movement and an inch of horizontal fade. Theoretically, Sasaki's splitter should generate whiffs and weak contact.

Sasaki generates plenty of extension while coming from a higher arm angle. He was one of 13 right-handed pitchers with a 40-degree arm angle and seven or more feet of extension. Although it might be a high-end comparison, Sasaki theoretically should generate more whiffs with this arm slot and mechanics. We can't compare Sasaki to Gilbert or Tyler Glasnow since they're unicorns at over 6-foot-6.

With Sasaki's high-velocity four-seamer, it should perform better, given the 7.1 feet of extension (93rd percentile). Interestingly, Sasaki's four-seam has an above-average horizontal movement profile, which looks unusual coming from a higher arm angle (45 degrees). Unfortunately, Sasaki's four-seam doesn't rise as much as we want with the elite extension numbers.

Furthermore, Sasaki's slider drops (+3.8) and sweeps (+7.4) several inches beyond the average pitch, which should lead to swinging strikes and weaker contact, especially against right-handed hitters. Sasaki's Yahoo draft price makes him an intriguing high-upside pitcher, given the potential volatility in usage and replacement value during the season. However, Sasaki looks like a risky pitcher with a limited sample in deeper formats like in NFBC, going around pick 240. There's a saying in fantasy football about leaning into the uncertainty. That's what Sasaki presents: uncertainty and upside at the price.