Associated Press stories, Page 1652
New York Knicks tickets to go only to fully vaccinated
The New York Knicks will sell tickets only to fully vaccinated fans if they reach the second round of the playoffs. The Knicks announced Friday that Game 5 of their first-round series against Atlanta has already sold out, with more than 16,000 fans expected on Wednesday. More than 90% of...
Florida boy, 14, held without bond in 13-year-old’s death
ST. JOHNS, Fla. — A judge on Friday ordered a 14-year-old Florida boy held without bond on a first-degree murder charge in the death of a 13-year-old classmate. Aiden Fucci will be tried in adult court and faces a possible life sentence in the stabbing death of Tristyn Bailey earlier...
Tour, players react to Naomi Osaka: Talking to media part of job
Naomi Osaka’s declaration that she won’t participate in news conferences during the French Open was a natural, if slightly awkward, topic for discussion on a tournament media day already awkward by nature because it was conducted via video conference. “I understand why she does it. I respect her opinion,” Daniil...
IndyCar courts Black fans, drivers in its push to diversify
INDIANAPOLIS — Rod Reid ran a program full of young, Black kart racers locked out of a venue because of the pandemic and needed a track to race. Indianapolis Motor Speedway had spent millions on upgrades on the historic property at the same time last year when the coronavirus had...
Boat accident on Nigerian river kills 60, more feared dead
LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigerian authorities confirmed that at least 60 people have died in a boat accident on the Niger River and that 83 missing passengers are also feared dead. The boat with more than 160 passengers, including many children and women, sank after hitting an object and breaking up...
Voice of Disney’s ‘Sebastian the Crab’ dies at age 72
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Samuel E. Wright, the South Carolina native who famously voiced “Sebastian the Crab” in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and had an acting career spanning five decades, died this week. He was 72. Wright died Monday in New York after a three-year bout with prostate cancer, according to...
Ex-Speaker Ryan to GOP: Reject Trump, ‘2nd-rate imitations’
Emerging from two years of relative silence, former House Speaker Paul Ryan has joined the fight against Donald Trump, urging fellow conservatives to reject the former president’s divisive politics and those Republican leaders who emulate him. Ryan made his remarks during a Thursday evening address at the Ronald Reagan Presidential...
Russia: Ex-officers convicted of planting drugs on reporter
MOSCOW — Five former Russian police officers were convicted Friday on charges of fabricating evidence in the 2019 drug arrest of a prominent investigative journalist. Ivan Golunov of the independent Meduza online news outlet was arrested in Moscow on drug-dealing charges that he rejected as a sham. The journalist argued...
Senate hits snag on vote for Jan. 6 Capitol riot commission
WASHINGTON — The Senate pushed action into Friday on a bill to create an independent commission to study the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by Donald Trump’s supporters. Republicans still plan to block the measure using the filibuster, but snags on another, unrelated bill forced delays that prevented...
Spain criticized for unequally priced ‘equality stamps’
MADRID — Spain’s postal service is feeling a backlash from its attempt to highlight racial inequality. State-owned Correos España this week issued a set of four stamps in different skin-colored tones. The darker the stamp, the lower the price. The lightest color costs 1.60 euros ($1.95). The darkest one costs...
U.S. consumers boosted spending by a slight 0.5% in April
WASHINGTON — Americans increased their spending by a slight 0.5% in April, a slowdown after a massive gain in March that had been powered by the distribution of billions of dollars in individual stimulus checks. Even with the pullback from a 4.7% surge in spending in March, the April increase...
Party of 4? Your trail is ready. Busy parks try reservations
ST. HUBERTS, N.Y. — Nick and Matthew Golebiewski climbed to the summit of Gothics mountain in the Adirondacks with packs, water, good boots and a new must-have item: advanced reservations. The free reservation system went online recently to handle the fast-growing number of visitors to the privately owned Adirondack Mountain...
WHO chief concedes ‘slow’ response to Congo sex abuse claims
LONDON — The head of the World Health Organization acknowledged the U.N. health agency’s response to sexual abuse allegations involving employees who worked in Congo during an Ebola outbreak was “slow,” following an Associated Press investigation that found senior WHO management knew of multiple cases of misconduct. As WHO’s highest...
Many women CEOs saw raises last year, but ranks remain thin
Most of the women running the biggest U.S. companies saw their pay increase last year, even as the pandemic hammered the economy and many of their businesses. Despite those gains, however, the median pay for female chief executives actually fell in 2020. Already a small group, they saw several high-profile...
Busier summer expected at Jersey Shore in Year 2 of covid-19
BELMAR, N.J. — The second summer of covid-19 at the Jersey Shore is likely to look much different than last year’s: Many virus restrictions have been lifted, nightclubs and dance floors will be packed again, and restaurants and bars can serve full crowds indoors. Shore towns report brisk beach badge...
Who’s the boss? At Indy 500, women play large role for IMS
INDIANAPOLIS — Simona de Silvestro was still in her helmet when her race team owner threw her arms around the driver who had just qualified for the Indianapolis 500 by the narrowest of margins. De Silvestro’s pony-tailed crew members stopped by to congratulate her, as did 2018 Indy 500 winner...
Boorish fans: 76ers, Knicks, Jazz issue bans after incidents
The New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz banned a total of five fans from their respective arenas and issued apologies Thursday for incidents during playoff games, and the NBA said rules surrounding fan behavior will be “vigorously enforced” going forward. All three incidents took place during playoff games...
Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia lead Colonial; Phil Mickelson 10 back
FORT WORTH, Texas — Phil Mickelson kept hearing congratulatory words as he made his way around Colonial, and there was a huge roar from the crowd when the PGA Championship winner made a long putt to finish his round. Jordan Spieth kept making birdies in the same group. Spieth shot...
West Virginia to offer cash, pickup trucks as vaccine prize
CHARLESTON — West Virginia will step up its prizes for vaccines, enrolling all residents who have received a coronavirus shot into a lottery for the chance to win a college scholarship, an F-150 pickup truck or cash rewards. Republican Gov. Jim Justice announced the plan for the new incentives Thursday,...
Report: Tennessee woman drove through vaccination tent to protest
MARYVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee woman accused of driving through a covid-19 vaccine distribution tent as a form of protest has been charged with seven counts of felony reckless endangerment, according to a police report. Virginia Christine Lewis Brown, 36, was arrested after a Blount County deputy witnessed her driving...
Full bowl lineup for college football returns after pandemic-shortened 2020-21
After the pandemic cut the college football bowl season almost in half last year, a full lineup of 44 postseason games is scheduled for 2021-22. The Bowl Season schedule was announced Thursday. The bowls will begin on Dec. 17, with Bahamas Bowl kicking off at noon ET and the Cure...
Firetruck crashes into Philly building, leaving 5 injuredVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Four firefighters and one civilian were injured Thursday when a Philadelphia Fire Department firetruck crashed into a building after a collision with another vehicle. The firetruck had left a nearby fire station and had its lights and siren on as firefighters headed to a report of a house...
Idaho lieutenant governor bans mask mandates while governor awayVideo
BOISE — With the governor out of the state, Idaho’s lieutenant governor issued an executive order Thursday banning mask mandates in schools and public buildings, saying the face-covering directives threatened people’s freedom. Republican Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin is acting governor while Gov. Brad Little is at the Republican Governors Association...
Bank CEOs tell Congress they’ll work to avoid foreclosuresVideo
WASHINGTON — The chief executives of the nation’s largest banks went in front of Congress for a second day Thursday, facing questions ranging from bitcoin to their efforts to keep Americans in their homes after government aid to pandemic-hit mortgage holders expires this summer. The House hearing comes after senators...
GOP offers $928B on infrastructure, funded with covid aidVideo
WASHINGTON — Republican senators outlined a $928 billion infrastructure proposal Thursday that would tap unused coronavirus aid, a counteroffer to President Joe Biden’s more sweeping plan as the two sides struggle to negotiate a bipartisan compromise and remain far apart on how to pay for the massive spending. The Republican...
