Associated Press stories, Page 1455
Breakthrough Bearcats ready for CFP semifinal against champ Alabama
ARLINGTON, Texas — Cincinnati has heard for more than three weeks about becoming the first non-Power Five team to break into the College Football Playoff, and then what a big underdog the Bearcats are against Alabama. “It’s definitely been a long time, especially, you know, with the nerves or excitement...
Blueprint: Can Alabama’s success help Michigan vs. Georgia?
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Georgia’s defense was nearly invincible for three months, allowing less than a touchdown per game. Then came the SEC championship game against Alabama, where the Crimson Tide seemingly cracked the code on the Bulldogs’ stingy D in a 41-24 victory. As No. 2 Michigan prepares to...
Israeli PM says not opposed to ‘good’ nuclear deal with Iran
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday he is not opposed to a “good” nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, but voiced skepticism that such an outcome would emerge from the current negotiations. Bennett spoke a day after negotiators from Iran and five world powers...
U.S. home prices surge 18.4% in October
WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices surged again in October as the housing market continues to boom in the wake of last year’s coronavirus recession. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index, out Tuesday, climbed 18.4% in October from a year earlier. The gain marked a slight deceleration from a...
Kraken lose fan favorite Brandon Tanev to major knee injury
SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken will be without forward Brandon Tanev for the rest of the season after he suffered a torn ACL in his knee, the team said Monday. Tanev was injured Dec. 18 against Edmonton and had sought a second opinion on the extent of the injury. The...
Kevin Stefanski, Browns second-guessed, stung by close losses
CLEVELAND — Despite two agonizing losses in six days, a litany of covid-19 cases and a banged-up starting quarterback who crumbles when the moment calls for strength, the Cleveland Browns still have a chance to make the playoffs. It’s a long shot. But there’s a path, a prayer. In this...
Esports giant Riot settles discrimination case for $100M
LOS ANGELES — Riot Games, the publisher behind esports giant “League of Legends,” agreed Monday night to pay $100 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging pay disparity, gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The lawsuit was filed in November 2018 after gaming website Kotaku published a story detailing a sexist...
Police: Gunman in Denver who killed 5 targeted some victims
DENVER — A gunman who went on a shooting rampage through several business districts in and around Denver, killing five people and wounding two others, was targeting at least some of his victims, authorities said Tuesday. The suspect also died after exchanging gunfire with officers in a shopping area in...
Russian court orders shutdown of renowned rights group
MOSCOW — Russia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that one of the country’s oldest and most prominent human rights organizations should be shut down, a move that stirred up much public outrage and is the latest step in a months-long crackdown on rights activists, independent media and opposition supporters. The...
World’s fair in Dubai warns of possible closures over virus
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The multibillion-dollar world’s fair in Dubai has warned that some venues on site may shut down as coronavirus cases rapidly rise in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai’s Expo 2020 said that virus outbreaks among staff may force some parts of the fair to “close temporarily...
This date in sports history: Dec. 28
1944 — Maurice Richard has five goals and three assists to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 9-1 rout of the Detroit Red Wings. 1947 — The Chicago Cardinals behind Elmer Angsman’s two 70-yard scores and Charlie Trippi’s 44-yard TD run and 75-yard punt return beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21...
Defense, Jaylen Waddle lift Dolphins to 7th straight win
NEW ORLEANS — A Dolphins defense that intercepted Saints rookie Ian Book twice and sacked him eight times was probably enough to push Miami’s winning streak to seven games. Miami also got a big lift from rookie sensation Jaylen Waddle to outclass New Orleans on both sides of the ball....
Biden signs $768.2 billion defense spending bill into law
President Joe Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law Monday, authorizing $768.2 billion in military spending, including a 2.7% pay raise for service members, for 2022. The NDAA authorizes a 5% increase in military spending, and is the product of intense negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over issues...
Flu is making a comeback in U.S. after an unusual year off
The U.S. flu season has arrived on schedule after taking a year off, with flu hospitalizations rising and two child deaths reported. Last year’s flu season was the lowest on record, likely because covid-19 measures — school closures, distancing, masks and canceled travel — prevented the spread of influenza, or...
U.S. Catholic clergy shortage eased by recruits from Africa
The Rev. Athanasius Chidi Abanulo — using skills honed in his African homeland to minister effectively in rural Alabama— determines just how long he can stretch out his Sunday homilies based on who is sitting in the pews. Seven minutes is the sweet spot for the mostly white and retired...
Again, crews find apparent time capsule at Lee statue site
Crews wrapping up the removal of a giant pedestal that once held a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond found what appeared to be a second and long-sought-after time capsule, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Monday. The governor tweeted photos of a box being removed from the...
Wall Street ends higher, marking another record for S&P 500
Technology companies led U.S. stocks broadly higher Monday, extending the market’s recent rally and nudging the S&P 500 to another all-time high. Wall Street kicked off the final week in a banner year for the stock market with mostly muted trading as investors returned from the Christmas holiday and several...
CDC recommends shorter covid isolation for all — from 10 to 5 days
U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the...
U.S. steps up probe into Hyundai-Kia engine failures and fires
DETROIT — U.S. auto safety regulators have stepped up a series of investigations into engine fires that have plagued Hyundai and Kia vehicles for more than six years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a new engineering analysis investigation covers more than 3 million vehicles from the 2011 through...
Omicron, storms disrupt air travel for 4th consecutive day
Flight cancellations that disrupted holiday travel stretched into Monday as airlines called off thousands more flights because crews were sick with covid-19 during one of the year’s busiest travel periods, and storm fronts added to the havoc. Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a constant this...
West Virginia facing tough run test against Minnesota in Guaranteed Rate Bowl
PHOENIX — West Virginia was already facing a difficult task against a Minnesota defense that’s one of the best in the country. The Golden Gophers shut down the pass, smother the run, rarely give an inch. The Mountaineers’ climb became much steeper when leading rusher Leddie Brown opted to skip...
South Carolina, Stanford still Nos. 1-2 in women’s AP Top 25
A relatively quiet week because of the holidays left The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll mostly unchanged. South Carolina remained the unanimous No. 1, receiving all 30 first-place votes from a national media panel Monday. The Gamecocks staved off another challenge from a top opponent, rallying to beat No....
Mikaela Shiffrin is latest elite skier to test positive for covid-19
Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin is the latest elite skier to test positive for covid-19 with the Beijing Games less than six weeks away. “I wanted to let you all know that I’m doing well, but unfortunately I had a positive covid test,” the American wrote on her social media...
Baylor remains No. 1 in AP Top 25, Michigan State to No. 10
A combination of cancelations and the holidays made for a quiet week in college basketball. The latest Associated Press poll reflected the light week. Baylor remained No. 1 for the third straight week in the poll released Monday, receiving all 61 first-place votes from a national media panel. The Bears...
Omicron spreads global gloom over New Year’s celebrations
BRUSSELS — After struggling with the coronavirus for far too long, the world understands all too well Belgium’s word of the year, “knaldrang!” — the urge to party, the need to let loose. Yet as New Year celebrations approach, the omicron variant is casting more gloom. Dire warnings abound, caseloads...
