Associated Press stories, Page 1309
As U.S. mourns shootings, NRA in turmoil but influence remains
HOUSTON — For a brief moment in 2012, it seemed like a national stalemate over guns was breaking. Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old gunman, had forced his way into a Connecticut elementary school and massacred 26 people, mostly children, with an AR-15-style rifle. Flags flew at half-staff. A sporting goods chain...
Christian nationalism on the rise in some GOP campaigns
PITTSBURGH — The victory party took on the feel of an evangelical worship service after Doug Mastriano won Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial primary this month. As a Christian singer led the crowd in song, some raised their arms toward the heavens in praise. Mastriano opened his remarks by evoking Scripture: “God...
No. 1 Iga Swiatek finds focus at French Open amid 31-match winning streakVideo
PARIS — It’s been so long since No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek lost — 31 matches now — and even since she ceded so much as a set — that last happened more than a month ago — that she could be forgiven if she couldn’t recall how to react when...
No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has lead at Colonial; Brendon Todd tied for 2nd
FORT WORTH, Texas — Scottie Scheffler almost made it through another round at Colonial without a bogey, this time with wind gusting through the trees at Hogan’s Alley. The world’s top-ranked player has the lead alone after the third round. Scheffler, whose only bogey at Colonial so far this week...
Real Madrid beats Liverpool for unprecedented 14th European Cup titleVideo
PARIS — Real Madrid became European champion for a record-extending 14th time after beating Liverpool, 1-0, in a Champions League final that started 37 minutes late because of disturbing crowd issues outside the Stade de France on Saturday. Brazil winger Vinicius Junior applied a close-range finish in the 59th minute...
Pittsburgh native Chip Ganassi goes to Indy with 5 strong shots in 500Video
INDIANAPOLIS — Chip Ganassi skipped his 1982 graduation ceremony at Duquesne to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. The Pittsburgh native made the field but turned out to be just an OK race car driver. His strengths were outside the car and inside the boardroom. In the 40 years since, Ganassi...
NASCAR hub Charlotte gets sellout for Memorial Day weekendVideo
CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR still is a hot ticket in its Charlotte hub. Charlotte Motor Speedway announced a sellout for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, meaning approximately 100,000 fans are expected to attend NASCAR’s longest race of the season. Grandstand seats sold out earlier this week, and officials announced Saturday...
Reds’ Tommy Pham suspended for slapping Joc Pederson over fantasy football disputeVideo
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham was suspended by MLB for three games on Saturday after he slapped San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson because of a dispute about their fantasy football league. Pham, 34, also was fined. The suspension was made retroactive to Friday night, and he will...
Air travelers face cancellations over Memorial Day weekend
Airline travelers are not only facing sticker shock this Memorial Day weekend, the kickoff to the summer travel season. They’re also dealing with a pileup of flight cancellations. More than 1,200 flights were canceled as of 2 p.m EST Saturday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. That followed more than...
FBI records on search for fabled Pennsylvania gold raise more questions
A scientific analysis commissioned by the FBI shortly before agents went digging for buried treasure suggested that a huge quantity of gold could be below the surface, according to newly released government documents and photos that deepen the mystery of the 2018 excavation in remote western Pennsylvania. The report, by...
AP source: Lakers choose Darvin Ham as next head coachVideo
LOS ANGELES — A person with knowledge of the decision says Darvin Ham has accepted an offer to be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The person spoke with the Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been publicly announced. The...
Wall Street breaks 7-week losing streak, longest since 2001
Technology companies led a broad rally for stocks Friday as Wall Street notched its best week in 18 months. The gain broke a seven-week losing streak for the market, the longest such stretch since 2001. The S&P 500 rose 2.5% and finished 6.6% higher for the week, its best weekly...
Scott Stallings among trio tied for lead after 2nd round at ColonialVideo
FORT WORTH, Texas — This has been a good week in North Texas for Scott Stallings, first qualifying for the U.S. Open that will be played less than an hour from where he was born and now sharing the lead at Colonial with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Beau Hossler. Stallings...
Giants’ Gabe Kapler refusing to take field for national anthem in protestVideo
CINCINNATI — San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Friday he will refuse to take the field for the national anthem in a protest over the nation’s political direction following this week’s school shooting in Texas. “I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel...
Rafael Nadal to meet Felix Auger-Aliassime at French OpenVideo
PARIS — Rafael Nadal knew this was bound to happen. So, too, did his uncle, Toni Nadal, who coached Rafael to most of the nephew’s men’s-record 21 Grand Slam titles. Also well aware this moment would come, of course, was Felix Auger-Aliassime, the promising player who brought aboard the man...
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin new king of New YorkVideo
Igor Shesterkin pulls the mask up on top of his head, takes a sip of water and looks around. Instead of squirting the bottle through the cage and shuffling back into position, he takes a few seconds to soak in the atmosphere. “He has that grin like he’s loving every...
Don’t count Juan Pablo Montoya out, he’s only at Indianapolis to winVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Oh, that’s just Juan. That’s what they say about Juan Pablo Montoya when he doesn’t want to do something, pushes back on a request or simply pretends he can’t hear what he’s been asked. He is back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for what might be the last time...
Official: Girl told 911 ‘send the police now’ as cops waited
Students trapped inside a classroom with a gunman repeatedly called 911 during this week’s attack on a Texas elementary school, including one who pleaded, “Please send the police now,” as officers waited more than an hour to breach the classroom after following the gunman into the building, authorities said Friday....
Biden renews sanctions license for Chevron in Venezuela
MIAMI — The Biden administration has renewed a license partially exempting Chevron from sanctions on Venezuela so it can keep operating in the oil-rich, socialist-run nation. The license issued Friday by the U.S. Treasury Department allows the California-based Chevron and other U.S. companies to perform only basic upkeep of wells...
Students who survived Texas school attack describe scene
UVALDE, Texas — A young survivor of the massacre at a Texas elementary school said she covered herself with a friend’s blood and pretended to be dead while she waited for help to arrive. Miah Cerrillo, 11, told CNN that she and a friend called 911 from her dead teacher’s...
‘Relentless’: Russia squeezes Ukrainian strongholds in east
KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Russia-backed separatists claimed they captured a railway hub city in eastern Ukraine as Moscow’s forces pushed to gain more ground Friday by pounding another Ukrainian-held area where authorities say 1,500 people have died since the start of the war. With Russia’s offensive in Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region...
At long last, jury gets closing arguments in Depp trial
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Johnny Depp’s lawyers asked a jury Friday “to give Mr. Depp his life back” by finding his ex-wife, Amber Heard, guilty of libel. Heard “ruined his life by falsely telling the world she was a survivor of domestic abuse at the hands of Mr. Depp,”...
McDavid, Oilers eliminate Flames in OT, on to West finals
CALGARY, Alberta — Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl dominated the first playoff Battle of Alberta in 31 years. It was fitting Edmonton’s dynamic duo combined to end it. McDavid scored at 5:03 of overtime and the Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Thursday night in Game 5 of the...
Here’s why scientists aren’t ‘crazy scared’ about monkeypox
The monkeypox outbreak has captured the attention of an anxious public that’s struggling to emerge from the covid-19 pandemic and is on high alert for the next virus that might upend our lives. Fortunately, professionals are a lot calmer about monkeypox than the armchair pundits. “In the last couple of...
Iran seizes 2 Greek tankers in Persian Gulf as tensions rise
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized two Greek oil tankers Friday in helicopter-launched raids in the Persian Gulf, officials said. The action appeared to be retaliation for Athens’ assistance in the U.S. seizure of crude oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker this week in the Mediterranean Sea over violating Washington’s crushing sanctions...
