Associated Press stories, Page 1648

WASHINGTON — A group of congressional Democrats introduced legislation Thursday to add four seats to the Supreme Court, a long-shot bid designed to counter the court’s rightward tilt during the Trump administration and criticized by Republicans as a potential power grab that would reduce the public’s trust in the judiciary....

FRANKFURT, Germany — Daimler AG on Thursday unveiled a battery-powered counterpart to its top Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan as German carmakers ramp up their challenge to electric upstart Tesla. The EQS is the first Mercedes-Benz vehicle to be built on a framework designed from the start as an electric car, rather...

MILAN — The great-grandchildren of Guccio Gucci, who founded the luxury fashion house that bears his name a century ago in Florence, are appealing to filmmaker Ridley Scott to respect their family’s legacy in a new film that focuses on a sensational murder. “The House of Gucci,” starring Lady Gaga...

PARIS — France on Thursday became the third country in Europe after the U.K. and Italy to reach the unwanted milestone of 100,000 covid-19-related deaths as new infections and deaths surged due to virus variants. The country of 67 million is the eighth nation in the world to reach the...

LOS ANGELES — A former California college student charged with murder in the 1996 disappearance of classmate Kristin Smart and the defendant’s father, who is accused of helping hide the young woman’s body, made their first court appearance Thursday but did not enter pleas. Paul Flores, 44, was charged with...

CANTON, Ohio — The nine new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who are deceased will be honored in a television special next month. Eight men who were selected for the 2020 centennial class and one from the 2021 group will be recognized. They are Bobby Dillon, Winston...

The Google Earth app is adding a new video feature that draws upon nearly four decades of satellite imagery to vividly illustrate how climate change has affected glaciers, beaches, forests and other places around the world. The tool unveiled Thursday is rolling out in what is being billed as the...

OTTAWA, Ontario — A Canadian Parliament member was caught stark naked in a virtual meeting of the House of Commons. William Amos, who has represented the Quebec district of Pontiac since 2015, appeared on the screens of his fellow lawmakers completely naked Wednesday. The pandemic has meant many Canadian lawmakers...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — When the pallbearers brought Phil McLean’s coffin into the chapel, there were gasps before a wave of laughter rippled through the hundreds of mourners. The coffin was a giant cream donut. “It overshadowed the sadness and the hard times in the last few weeks,” said his...

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A photo symbolizing “love and compassion” of an 85-year-old Brazilian woman getting her first embrace in five months from a nurse through a transparent “hug curtain” was named the World Press Photo of the Year on Thursday. The choice of a winning photo portraying the global...

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Black community leaders and family members of Daunte Wright were calling for more serious charges against a white police officer in Wright’s death, comparing her case to the murder charge brought against a Black officer who killed a white woman in nearby Minneapolis. Former Brooklyn Center...

MINNEAPOLIS — The defense at the murder trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd rested its case Thursday without putting Chauvin on the stand, presenting a total of two days of testimony to the prosecution’s two weeks. Closing arguments are set to begin Monday morning,...

NEW YORK — Wall Street notched more milestones Thursday, as a broad market rally pushed the S&P 500 to an all-time high and the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed above the 34,000 mark for the first time. The S&P 500 rose 1.1%, with technology, health care and communication stocks accounting...

LOS ANGELES — J-Lo and A-Rod are no longer J-Rod — officially. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez told the “Today” show Thursday in a joint statement that they are calling off their two-year engagement. “We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so. We will...

KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Thursday to sell Afghan leaders and a wary public on President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw all American troops from the country and end America’s longest war. Blinken sought to assure senior Afghan politicians...

LONDON — Senior royals must wear civilian clothes to Prince Philip’s funeral, defusing potential tensions over who would be allowed to don military uniforms. Queen Elizabeth II’s decision means Prince Harry won’t risk being the only member of the royal family not in uniform during Saturday’s funeral for his grandfather,...

CANBERRA, Australia — Alex White thought he was watching a huge worm writhing in plastic-wrapped lettuce he’d just brought home from a Sydney supermarket — until a snake tongue flicked. “I kind of completely freaked out when I saw this little tongue come out of its mouth and start flicking...

PARIS — France’s parliament passed a security bill Thursday to extend police powers despite criticism from civil rights activists who fear it threatens efforts to denounce police abuse. The bill was approved by 75 votes for and 33 against at the National Assembly, where French President Emmanuel Macron’s party, which...

1918 — Babe Ruth pitched a four-hitter for Boston in the season opener and drove in two runs in a 7-1 win over Philadelphia. 1937 — The Detroit Red Wings beat the New York Rangers, 3-0, to take the Stanley Cup in the fifth and final game. 1947 — Jackie...

CHICAGO — Carlos Rodon threw the majors’ second no-hitter of the season Wednesday night, losing his bid for a perfect game on a hit batter in the ninth inning, and the Chicago White Sox cruised to an 8-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Working quickly in short sleeves with the...

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is preparing to announce sanctions in response to a massive Russian hacking campaign that breached vital federal agencies, as well as for election interference, a senior administration official said Wednesday night. The sanctions, foreshadowed for weeks by the administration, would represent the first retaliatory action...

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A white non-commissioned Army officer depicted in a viral video accosting and shoving a Black man in a South Carolina neighborhood has been charged with third-degree assault. Jonathan Pentland, 42, was charged Wednesday and listed as detained in the Richland County jail and issued a personal recognizance...