Associated Press stories, Page 1346
Ho, ho, hut: NFL will play 3 games on Christmas for 1st time
The NFL will capitalize on Christmas Day falling on a Sunday. The league will have three games Dec. 25 for the first time: two in the afternoon on CBS and Fox, followed by a prime-time contest on NBC. NFL vice president of broadcasting Mike North revealed the tripleheader on a...
Afraid to fly with unmasked passengers? Call your airline
DALLAS — Airlines say they are offering options — including refunds in some cases — for people worried about flying now that other passengers aren’t required to wear face masks. However, the airlines aren’t providing many details. Customers could find themselves at the mercy of workers at airline customer-service centers....
The Edsel, Quibi and CNN+? New addition to business failures
NEW YORK — The Edsel. Quibi. New Coke. The Segway. DeLorean sports cars. The pantheon of colossal business failures has a new member in the CNN+ streaming service. The news network’s subscription offering hadn’t even been operating for a month before Warner Bros. Discovery announced this week that it would...
Officials: Mark Meadows was registered to vote in 3 states
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Mark Meadows — a former chief of staff to President Donald Trump who was removed from North Carolina voter rolls earlier this month — is still a registered voter in two other states, according to officials and a published report. Chris Whitmire, a spokesperson for the South...
Ukraine: Russians shift elite units to the new battleground
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia shifted a dozen crack units from the shattered port of Mariupol to eastern Ukraine and pounded away at cities across the region, Ukrainian authorities said Friday, as the two sides hurtled toward what could be an epic battle for control of the country’s industrial heartland. Russian...
Newberry: Amid increasing abuse, officials flee youth sports
ATLANTA — When one looks at the ugly bruise encircling Kristi Moore’s left eye, it’s not surprising so many refs and umps are hanging up their stripes. Why put up with incessant taunts and threats from out-of-control parents? Why fret over potential violence — even the chance of losing your...
Mask mandates return to U.S. college campuses as cases rise
The final weeks of the college school year have been disrupted yet again by covid-19 as universities bring back mask mandates, switch to online classes and scale back large gatherings in response to upticks in coronavirus infections. Colleges in Washington, D.C., New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Texas have reimposed...
Plan to ban menthol cigarettes prompts last-minute lobbying blitz
As federal officials finalize a long-awaited plan to ban menthol cigarettes, dozens of interest groups have met with White House staffers to try to influence the process, which has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives while wiping out billions in tobacco sales. Biden administration officials have heard...
Death toll in Afghan mosque bombing rises to 33, Taliban say
A Taliban official says a bombing at a mosque and religious school in northern Afghanistan on Friday killed at least 33 people, including students of a religious school. Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted news of the devastating bombing in the town of Imam Saheb, in Kunduz Province, saying it also wounded another...
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s candidacy challenged at hearing
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was engaged in “legitimate political speech” when she called for a response to Joe Biden’s presidential victory prior to last year’s insurrection, her lawyer argued Friday during a hearing over her right to run for reelection. Voters in the Georgia congresswoman’s district have said Greene...
Big greenhouse gas state taking biggest climate step yet
More than two years after he started work on it, Gov. Tom Wolf is set to enact the centerpiece of his plan to fight climate change, making Pennsylvania the first major fossil fuel state to adopt a carbon pricing policy — but it might be a short-lived victory. One lawsuit...
Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur dies at age 70
MONTREAL — Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur, who helped the Montreal Canadiens win five Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, has died at age 70. A cause of death was not immediately known, but Lafleur had been diagnosed with lung cancer. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the...
Stocks slump as Wall Street heads for another losing week
Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street, capping a bumpy week as the Federal Reserve promises to be more aggressive about fighting inflation. Health care stocks were leading the way lower, led by a 14% drop in HCA after the hospital operator cut its financial forecasts. The S&P 500 fell...
Iowa GOP open to non-Trump prospects as 2024 gets underway
Former President Donald Trump’s persistent flirtation with another White House run is doing little to discourage other potential Republican candidates from stepping up their activity in Iowa, the state that will formally launch the 2024 nomination process. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo quietly finished his fifth trip to Iowa...
Israeli police storm Jerusalem holy site after rock-throwing
Israeli police in full riot gear stormed a sensitive Jerusalem holy site sacred to Jews and Muslims on Friday after Palestinian youths hurled stones at a gate where they were stationed. The renewed violence at the site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, came despite Israel temporarily halting Jewish...
Satellite photos show possible mass graves near Mariupol
KYIV, Ukraine — Satellite images released Thursday showed what appeared to be mass graves near Mariupol, and local officials accused Russia of burying up to 9,000 Ukrainian civilians there in an effort to conceal the slaughter taking place in the siege of the port city. The images emerged hours after...
Pit concerns dissipate as IndyCar drivers crank up speedVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest lap of his career Thursday as IndyCar drivers got back to work at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This time, there were no spins, no crashes and not as much talk about the slick warmup lane. Instead, drivers raced toward the top of the speed...
Tigers fans boo as Miguel Cabrera draws intentional walk with 2,999 career hitsVideo
DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked in the eighth inning with 2,999 career hits, setting off a loud chorus of boos and derisive chants at Comerica Park as the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees, 3-0, on Thursday. Cabrera was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts, forcing him...
Philadelphia to end mask mandate, days after reinstating it
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia is ending its indoor mask mandate, city health officials said Thursday night, abruptly reversing course just days after people in the city had to start wearing masks again amid a sharp increase in infections. The Board of Health voted Thursday to rescind the mandate, according to the...
Pro Football Hall of Fames expands opportunities for seniorsVideo
CANTON, Ohio — Senior candidates will have more opportunities to be selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the next three years. The hall’s Board of Trustees on Thursday approved several changes to the bylaws governing the selection of Hall of Fame enshrinees. In the past, only one...
2 plead guilty in ‘We Build The Wall’ fraudulent fundraiser
NEW YORK — The co-founder of the “We Build The Wall” project aimed at raising money for a border wall pleaded guilty Thursday to charges in a case that once included former President Donald Trump’s adviser Steve Bannon. Brian Kolfage admitted to pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars while promising...
Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele open with 59 to lead Zurich Classic
AVONDALE, La. — Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are a good team even when they’re playing for cash and not just a flag. Cantlay holed a 25-foot eagle putt early and chipped in from 40 feet for birdie late, while Schauffele contributed six birdies of his own, and their three...
Kyle Busch steadily cementing a Hall of Fame NASCAR careerVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A cascade of boos rained down on Kyle Busch after his surprise win at Bristol Motor Speedway, a moment that reminded him of the icy reception the late Dale Earnhardt received after a controversial 1999 win at the track. But this wasn’t even close to that. Earnhardt...
Gonzaga stars Chet Holmgren, Andrew Nembhard declare for NBA DraftVideo
SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga stars Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard announced Thursday they will enter the NBA Draft. Holmgren is expected to be a top-five pick, and Nembhard is projected as a likely second-rounder. Holmgren arrived at Gonzaga as one of the most lauded recruits in program history, a 7-footer...
Live TV debate exposes Democrats’ differences in Senate race
HARRISBURG — The first live-televised prime-time debate between leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat exposed differences between the rivals Thursday, as they seized opportunities to attack each other. John Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor who has led polls and fundraising, took the brunt of...
