Associated Press stories, Page 1653
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...
U.S. tells Russia it won’t rejoin Open Skies arms control pact
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration informed Russia on Thursday that it will not rejoin a key arms control pact, even as the two sides prepare for a summit next month between their leaders. U.S. officials said Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told the Russians that the administration had decided...
Golden Knights host a Game 7 for 1st time against Minnesota
LAS VEGAS — The payoff for sharing the NHL’s best record comes Friday night for the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas will host a Game 7 for the first time when it plays the Minnesota Wild, who have staved off elimination by winning the past two games. “This is what it’s...
Even after early NHL playoff exit, Panthers still optimistic
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers already know one thing that will be different going into next season. Expectations will not be low. That’s a welcome change. Progress, and a lot of it, was made this season by the Panthers. They had their best regular season winning percentage in franchise...
Maple Leafs’ John Tavares skates 1 week after scary injury
TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was back on the ice for a skate on Thursday, one week after suffering a concussion and a knee injury in a scary collision. Tavares skated at Scotiabank Arena with fellow Leafs forward Nick Foligno (lower-body injury), who will miss his third...
U.N. rights chief: Israeli strikes in Gaza may be war crimes
GENEVA — The top U.N. human rights body on Thursday passed a resolution aimed to intensify scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, after the U.N. rights chief said Israeli forces may have committed war crimes and faulted the militant group Hamas for violations of international law in their 11-day war...
States tap federal aid to shore up empty unemployment funds
Businesses could be spared billions of dollars of higher taxes in coming years — potentially freeing up money to spend on employees or invest in their operations — as a result of federal coronavirus aid flowing to the states. Governors and lawmakers in more than half the states are planning...
Djokovic, Nadal, Federer in same half of French Open field
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all ended up in the same half of the French Open men’s field in the draw Thursday, meaning no more than one of them can reach the final. The Big Three top the leaderboard for Grand Slam men’s singles titles: Federer and Nadal...
Boorish fans: 76ers, Knicks issue bans after incidents
The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers each banned a fan and issued apologies Thursday for actions directed at opposing players during playoff games, and the NBA said that rules surrounding fan behavior will be “vigorously enforced” going forward. The Knicks said they banned a fan from Madison Square Garden...
Unearthing history: Tulsa massacre victims search resumes
OKLAHOMA CITY — As the U.S. marks 100 years since one of its most shameful historical chapters, researchers, including descendants of Black victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre, are preparing to resume a search for remains believed to have been hastily buried in mass graves. Although many details about the...
Fewer Americans sign contracts to buy homes in April
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Fewer Americans signed contracts to buy homes in April as a lack of supply continues to foil would-be buyers. The National Association of Realtors’ index of pending home sales fell 4.4% to 106.2 in April, a third straight sluggish month after nearly a year-long rebound from...
Official: San Jose shooter said he hated work years before killing 9
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A gunman who killed nine people at a California rail yard appeared to target some of the victims, a sheriff told The Associated Press on Thursday, while a Biden administration official said he spoke of hating his workplace when customs officers detained him after a 2016...
U.S. jobless claims fall to 406,000, a new pandemic low
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dropped last week to 406,000, a new pandemic low and more evidence that the job market is strengthening as the virus wanes and economy further reopens. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that applications declined 38,000 from 444,000 a week...
GOP set to block Jan. 6 commission, stoking Senate filibuster fight
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are ready to deploy the filibuster to block a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection, shattering hopes for a bipartisan probe of the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol and reviving pressure on Democrats to do away with the procedural tactic that critics say has lost...
Shoppers go back to stores, but retailers face challenges
NEW YORK — Americans are going back to one of their favorite past times: store shopping. With more people getting vaccinated and dropping their face masks, retailers from Walmart to Macy’s are seeing an eager return to their stores after more than a year of their customers migrating online during...
‘School of Rock’ actor Kevin Clark killed in bike accident
CHICAGO — Kevin Clark, who played drummer Freddy “Spazzy McGee” Jones in the 2003 movie “School of Rock” with Jack Black, was killed when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle along a Chicago street early Wednesday. Police said Clark, 32, was struck after running a red...
This Date in Sports History: May 27
1823 — A $20,000 match race between American Eclipse (representing The North) and Henry (representing The South) is held at Union Course, Long Island, N.Y. American Eclipse wins in two-of-three heats, after his original jockey, William Crafts, is replaced by Samuel Purdy before the second heat. The race, witnessed by...
Ohio announces 1st $1 million Vax-a-Million lottery winner
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A southwestern Ohio woman won the state’s first $1 million Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive prize, while a Dayton-area teen was awarded the first full-ride college scholarship offered by the program, the state announced Wednesday night. The winners were selected in a random drawing Monday and had their information...
West Virginia’s Jackson Wolf strikes out 7 in complete game
OKLAHOMA CITY — Jackson Wolf struck out seven in his first career complete game, and No. 8 seed West Virginia beat top-seeded Texas, 5-1, on Wednesday in the Big 12 Tournament. West Virginia (25-25) had just eight conference wins this season, with two coming against Texas to close the regular...
Wisconsin GOP leader hires retired police to probe election
MADISON — One of Wisconsin’s top Republican lawmakers said Wednesday he is hiring retired police officers to investigate the presidential election won by President Joe Biden in the battleground state. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is joining Republicans across the country in their continued push for repeated examinations of ballots. Assembly...
Phil Mickelson tries to focus at Colonial after historic PGA win
FORT WORTH, Texas — Phil Mickelson allowed himself to get distracted for a couple of days after his victory at the PGA Championship, taking some time to relish the historic achievement of becoming the oldest player to win a major. “Because when I’m doing it, I’m not fully aware because...
Colts welcome Carson Wentz with open arms as workouts wind downVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Carson Wentz spent the past two weeks working out in a whole new world. The quarterback found his way around the Indianapolis Colts complex, talked football with a different set of coaches, got acclimated to calling plays in a new huddle and started relearning coach Frank Reich’s offense....
‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ author Eric Carle dies at 91
NEW YORK — Eric Carle, the beloved children’s author and illustrator whose classic “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and other works gave millions of kids some of their earliest and most cherished literary memories, has died at age 91. Carle’s family says he died Sunday at his summer studio in Northampton,...
