Associated Press stories, Page 1397
On cusp of Biden speech, a state of disunity, funk and peril
WASHINGTON — In good times or bad, American presidents come to Congress with a diagnosis that hardly differs over the decades. In their State of the Union speeches, they declare “the state of our union is strong,” or words very much like it. President Joe Biden’s fellow Americans, though, have...
‘Squid Game,’ Troy Kotsur and ‘Ted Lasso’ win at SAG Awards
The cast of “Ted Lasso,” the leads of “Squid Game” and Troy Kotsur of “CODA” have won at the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards. The ceremony, held Sunday at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., and broadcast on both TNT and TBS, saw history made in a number of categories....
How is Russia-Ukraine war linked to religion?
Ukraine’s tangled political history with Russia has its counterpart in the religious landscape, with Ukraine’s majority Orthodox Christian population divided between an independent-minded group based in Kyiv and another loyal to its patriarch in Moscow. But while there have been appeals to religious nationalism in both Russia and Ukraine, religious...
West unleashes SWIFT bans, more crushing penalties on Russia
WASHINGTON — The United States and European nations agreed Saturday to impose the most potentially crippling financial penalties yet on Russia over its unrelenting invasion of Ukraine, going after the central bank reserves that underpin the Russian economy and severing some Russian banks from a vital global financial network. The...
‘Saturday Night Live’ opens with tribute song to UkraineVideo
NEW YORK — “Saturday Night Live” normally kicks off each show with some humor, but the comedy sketch series opened with a tribute performance to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion. The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performed a “Prayer for Ukraine” during the opening of “SNL” on Saturday....
Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert, escalating tensions
KYIV, Ukraine — President Vladimir Putin dramatically escalated East-West tensions by ordering Russian nuclear forces put on high alert Sunday, while Ukraine’s embattled leader agreed to talks with Moscow as Putin’s troops and tanks drove deeper into the country, closing in around the capital. Citing “aggressive statements” by NATO and...
NASCAR returns to Fontana with excitement and uncertaintyVideo
FONTANA, Calif. — The beautifully weathered asphalt at Auto Club Speedway is older than Austin Cindric. The Next Gen car that the Daytona 500 champion drove over that asphalt to the pole Saturday is so new that most of the NASCAR Cup Series drivers still haven’t figured out how to...
Mickelson losing corporate relationships over Saudi remarksVideo
Already out two corporate endorsements, Phil Mickelson and his foundation were removed from the PGA Tour event in the California desert Saturday as the fallout continued over his shocking remarks and involvement in a Saudi-funded rival league. The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif., reported The American Express no longer...
Daniel Berger in full control entering final round at Honda Classic
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Daniel Berger wasn’t flawless. He just kept avoiding big problems, which almost nobody has managed to do at PGA National this week. That’s why he remains the leader of the Honda Classic. Berger started with a three-shot lead and ended with a five-shot advantage, after...
Potent protest: Bars drop Russian vodka, promote Ukraine’s
Some bars and liquor stores think they’ve found a potent way to punish Russia for invading Ukraine: They’re pulling Russian vodka off their shelves and promoting Ukrainian brands instead. “I woke up yesterday morning, and I saw that Russia had invaded Ukraine. You wonder what you can do,” said Bob...
Late 3 helps Michigan State snap slump with victory over No. 4 PurdueVideo
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Tom Izzo was choked up as he walked off the court, and the emotional display had nothing to do with matching Bob Knight’s record for the most wins by a men’s basketball coach at a Big Ten school. Tyson Walker made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3...
Negotiations between MLB, players on verge of breaking downVideo
JUPITER, Fla. — MLB negotiations moved to the verge of a breakdown after taking several steps forward Saturday, leaving less than two days until management’s deadline for an agreement to salvage Opening Day on March 31 and a 162-game schedule. While the sides moved toward each other on some topics...
14 shot at Vegas hookah parlor; 1 dead and 2 critically hurt
LAS VEGAS — Fourteen people were shot before dawn Saturday morning at a hookah parlor, and police said one person died and that two of the victims suffered critical injuries. The shooting happened at about 3:15 a.m. and preliminary information indicated there was a party during which two people got...
No notes, same logo: Dr. Oz’s campaign is like his TV show
NEWTOWN — The banners and big red video screen all said Dr. Oz, the host gave a rousing introduction and in strode the candidate, Mehmet Oz, to take up the microphone and become the center of attention for more than an hour. Welcome to Oz’s campaign for U.S. Senate, where...
Trayvon Martin’s mother: ‘Don’t give up’ fight for justice
NEW YORK — The mother of Trayvon Martin used the 10th anniversary of her son’s death Saturday to urge those who sought justice for her family to continue to fight. “I never do anything on the 26th, I never even plan anything on the 26th of February,” Sybrina Fulton said...
China is Russia’s best hope to blunt sanctions, but wary
BEIJING — China is the only friend that might help Russia blunt the impact of economic sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, but President Xi Jinping’s government is giving no sign it might be willing to risk its own access to U.S. and European markets by doing too much. Even...
War via TikTok: Russia’s new tool for propaganda machine
The Russian TikTok video has it all: a cat, puppies and a pulsing background beat. It’s cute, watchable and hardly seems the stuff of state propaganda. In 2014, Russia flooded the internet with fake accounts pushing disinformation about its takeover of Crimea. Eight years later, experts say Russia is mounting...
Lockout limbo: Judge, Sale, others find fields to stay loose
TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Judge stepped into the batting cage and sent a long, high drive completely out of the park. Far behind the left-field wall, a couple of University of South Florida students paid no attention. They walked right past the stray ball that glistened in bright sunshine on...
Russian troops zero in on Kyiv as 150,000 Ukrainians flee
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian troops closed in on Kyiv and skirmishes flared on its outskirts Saturday as Ukraine’s leader vowed to continue battling an invasion by a much better-armed adversary. Terrified men, women and children sought safety inside and underground amid a 39-hour curfew the government imposed to keep people...
Explainer: What’s ahead for Biden’s Supreme Court nominee
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court has launched what Democrats hope will be a quick, bipartisan confirmation process for the court’s first Black woman. Jackson would replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who has said he will retire this summer at the end...
U.S. sanctions on Russian oligarchs miss richest of rich
WASHINGTON — The term Russian oligarch conjures images of posh London mansions, gold-plated Bentleys and sleek superyachts in the Mediterranean, their decks draped with partiers dripping in jewels. But the raft of sanctions on oligarchs announced by President Joe Biden this week in response to the invasion of Ukraine may...
Scott Peterson juror denies bias during 2004 trial
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The juror at the heart of convicted murderer Scott Peterson’s retrial bid swore Friday that she had no animosity toward him until after she heard evidence that he had killed his pregnant wife in a case that grabbed worldwide attention in 2004. “Before the trial, I didn’t...
Penn State hits 13 3-pointers, beats Northwestern
UNIVERSITY PARK — Dallion Johnson made five 3-pointers for all 15 of his points, John Harrar had 11 points and a career-high 20 rebounds and Penn State beat Northwestern, 67-60, on Friday night. It was a defensive battle through the first 13 minutes as Northwestern led 48-43. Penn State then...
Nashville ready for NHL Stadium Series debut vs. Tampa BayVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NHL always knew it would hold an outdoor game in Music City. It was just a question of timing. The Nashville Predators are hosting the reigning Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night at Nissan Stadium, home to the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, as part...
‘Stand your ground’ laws proliferate after Trayvon Martin spotlight
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The “stand your ground” self-defense law had been in effect in Florida for more than six years when it became part of the national vocabulary with the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. When the 17-year-old was fatally shot, Florida was still one of the few...
