Associated Press stories, Page 1398
Bob Lanier, NBA force who left big shoes to fill, dies at 73
Bob Lanier, the left-handed big man who muscled up beside the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as one of the NBA’s top players of the 1970s, died Tuesday. He was 73. The NBA said Lanier died after a short illness. The Hall of Famer had worked for the league as a...
Prisoner put to death in Arizona’s 1st execution since 2014
FLORENCE, Ariz. — An Arizona man convicted of killing a college student in 1978 was put to death Wednesday after a nearly eight-year hiatus in the state’s use of the death penalty brought on by an execution that critics say was botched — and the difficulty state officials faced in...
UN says $144 million needed to avert Yemen tanker disaster
The United Nations was seeking $144 million on Wednesday needed to fund the salvage operation of a decaying tanker full of oil moored off the coast of Yemen, a ship whose demise could cause an environmental disaster. The amount includes $80 million to transfer the more than 1 million barrels...
Elon Musk, an erratic visionary, revels in contradiction
As the uproar over Elon Musk’s $44 billion buyout of Twitter reaches a crescendo, another Musk drama, still chaotic four years after it began, has been back in court. Ironically, that spectacle started with a Musk tweet about doing an audacious deal. Then, with Wall Street awaiting his next move,...
U.S. overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
NEW YORK — More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday. The provisional 2021 total translates to roughly one U.S. overdose death every 5 minutes. It marked a 15%...
Al Jazeera reporter killed during Israeli raid in West Bank
JERUSALEM — Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday. The broadcaster and a reporter who was wounded in the incident blamed Israeli forces. The Israel army initially raised the possibility...
Florida students win yearbook flap over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
SANFORD, Fla. — After an outcry from students and parents over yearbook censorship, a Florida school board overruled their superintendent’s plan to cover up a page showing students waving rainbow flags and a “love is love” sign during a walkout against the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. The superintendent...
Britain pledges to defend Sweden if it’s attacked
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Britain pledged to defend Sweden if the country came under attack, with Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Magdalena Andersson signing a security assurance deal outside Stockholm on Wednesday. Sweden and Finland are pondering whether to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Johnson is...
U.S. inflation slows in April, strain on households remains
WASHINGTON — Inflation slowed in April after seven months of relentless gains, a tentative sign that price increases may be peaking while still imposing a financial strain on American households. Consumer prices jumped 8.3% last month from 12 months earlier, the Labor Department said Wednesday. That was below the 8.5%...
Ministers meet in Morocco to discuss ongoing threat from IS
RABAT, Morocco — Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group gathered in Morocco on Wednesday to discuss the campaign, a reminder of the persistent threat from the extremist group despite the overwhelming preoccupation with Russia’s war on Ukraine. U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland co-chaired...
Sri Lanka deploys troops in capital after violence, protests
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan authorities deployed armored vehicles and troops in the streets of the capital on Wednesday, two days after pro-government mobs attacked peaceful protesters, triggering a wave of violence across the country. Security forces have been ordered to shoot those deemed to be participating in the...
U.S. casinos had best month ever in March, winning $5.3B
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Inflation may be soaring, supply chains remain snarled and the coronavirus just won’t go away, but America’s casinos are humming right along, recording the best month in their history in March. The American Gaming Association, the gambling industry’s national trade group, said Wednesday that U.S. commercial...
House approves $40B in Ukraine aid, beefing up Biden request
WASHINGTON — The House emphatically approved a fresh $40 billion Ukraine aid package Tuesday as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden’s initial request, signaling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bloody three-month-old invasion. The measure sailed to passage by a lopsided 368-57 margin, providing $7 billion...
Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney wins West Virginia GOP primary
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In an early victory for a Donald Trump-endorsed candidate at the start of midterm season, Rep. Alex Mooney on Tuesday beat fellow incumbent Rep. David McKinley in West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary. “Donald Trump loves West Virginia, and West Virginia loves Donald Trump,” Mooney said...
Parents hunting for baby formula as shortage spans the countryVideo
WASHINGTON — Parents across the United States are scrambling to find baby formula because supply disruptions and a massive safety recall have swept many leading brands off store shelves. Months of spot shortages at pharmacies and supermarkets have been exacerbated by the recall at Abbott, which was forced to shutter...
New York woman charged in singing coach’s death pleads not guilty
NEW YORK — A woman charged in the death of an 87-year-old Broadway singing coach in Manhattan pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and assault charges Tuesday and was detained after a judge revoked her $500,000 bail. Lauren Pazienza, 26, appeared before a judge as a prosecutor disclosed new details of...
1st week of NHL playoffs full of fast starts, blowoutsVideo
Turns out a two-goal lead is the safest lead in the first round of the NHL playoffs. A three-goal lead? Insurmountable. Fall behind at all in a game? Well, good luck. The first week of the NHL playoffs has been a stark contrast to the regular season that was full...
Canadiens win NHL Draft lottery; Devils move up to No. 2Video
The Montreal Canadiens are not only hosting the NHL Draft in July, they’ll have a chance to be the headliners after winning the draft lottery Tuesday night. The Canadiens followed a turbulent season in which they finished last in the overall standings by retaining the right to the No. 1...
Man charged with killing mother at sea to inherit estateVideo
MONTPELIER, Vt. — A man found floating on a raft off the coast of New England in 2016 after his boat sank was charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday with killing his mother at sea to inherit the family’s estate. The eight-count indictment released in federal court in Burlington, Vt.,...
Former Penguins forward Patrick Marleau retires after 23-year NHL careerVideo
SAN JOSE, Calif. — For 23 seasons, Patrick Marleau woke up each day preparing to play hockey, and that helped him eventually break Gordie Howe’s record for most games played in the NHL. After a difficult year away from the game hoping another team would call and offer him a...
No charges for Mike Tyson for punching airplane passengerVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Authorities will not file criminal charges against former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson after he was recorded on video punching a fellow first-class passenger aboard a plane at San Francisco International Airport last month, prosecutors announced Tuesday. The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said it has closed...
HBCU school ‘incensed’ after Georgia drug search intimidated Black athletes
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The president of a historically Black college accused sheriff’s deputies in Georgia of intimidating and humiliating the school women’s lacrosse team when deputies pulled over the athletes’ bus and searched it for drugs. Delaware State University President Tony Allen said he’s “incensed” by the April 20 traffic...
Liverpool beats Villa 2-1, level on points with Man City in EPLVideo
BIRMINGHAM, England — Liverpool recovered from conceding in the third minute to beat Aston Villa 2-1 and move level on points with Manchester City in the Premier League title race on Tuesday. City, which leads thanks to its superior goal difference, plays its game in hand against Wolverhampton on Wednesday....
Reproductive rights message left outside Sen. Susan Collins’ home in Maine
BANGOR, Maine — A message left in chalk outside Sen. Susan Collins’ home urged her to support the Democratic effort to codify Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion in the United States. Bangor police responded to her home Saturday evening when a neighbor...
Minor league players, MLB reach deal in minimum, wage suitVideo
NEW YORK — Minor league players and Major League Baseball reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging teams violated minimum wage laws. Terms of the settlement were not filed with the court Tuesday, and details were not released. Two people familiar with the negotiations, speaking to The Associated Press on...
