Associated Press stories, Page 1666

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she tested positive for covid-19 and is urging people to take steps to guard against the coronavirus, such as wearing masks in public. “Through it all, I view wearing that cumbersome mask indoors in a crowd as not only allowing the...

ORANGE, Calif. — The gunman who killed four people and critically wounded a fifth at a Southern California office building knew all the victims and apparently before opening fire chained shut the gates to two entrances, delaying police from getting inside, authorities said Thursday. Among the victims of the “horrific...

NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor and the New York Mets have agreed to a $341 million, 10-year deal, keeping the All-Star shortstop in Queens for the long haul after acquiring him from Cleveland in the offseason, according to a person familiar with the agreement. The person spoke to The Associated...

WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, a prominent, outspoken conservative and a close ally of former President Donald Trump who has been under federal investigation for a former relationship, would lose his House seat if convicted of a felony. But there are no rules addressing lawmakers under investigation. House Minority...

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s electoral tribunal ruled Wednesday that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador cannot talk about his administration’s achievements during the campaign leading up to June 6 mid-term elections. The court’s ruling places the president in a tough spot. López Obrador has held news conferences almost every weekday since...

SANTA FE, N.M — Legislators mounted a charge toward legalizing recreational marijuana in New Mexico, as House lawmakers on Wednesday sent an approved framework for pot sales, business licenses and taxation to the state Senate for consideration. The Senate prepared for a decisive evening vote on a House-approved bill to...

CLEVELAND — When he hit free agency, Malik Jackson had a short list of teams with whom the veteran defensive tackle would consider signing. All of them had to fit one requirement. They had to be a Super Bowl contender. The Cleveland Browns were a match. Jackson, who signed a...

NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole’s dad will watch him pitch at Yankee Stadium in pinstripes for the first time, one of about 10,850 fans allowed in to watch New York’s opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. “I had trouble sleeping last night, so I probably anticipate going to be the...

HONOLULU — A tourist from Pittsburgh has been charged with manslaughter after a deadly fight in a Hawaii vacation rental, police said. A second tourist from Boston who had been arrested was released with no charges filed, police on the Big Island said Wednesday. Police were called to a Kailua-Kona...

The covid-19 pandemic pushed total U.S. deaths last year beyond 3.3 million, the nation’s highest annual death toll, the government reported Wednesday. The coronavirus caused about 375,000 deaths, and was the third leading cause of death in 2020, after heart disease and cancer. Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. now top...

USA Football has introduced eight procedures to enhance safety and health for youth players, with all of those methods endorsed by some major medical organizations. USA Football’s Athlete Health & Wellness Recommendations for youth football play have been supported by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Athletic...

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced a three-week nationwide school closure and a month-long domestic travel ban, as the rapid spread of the virus ramped up pressure on hospitals. In a televised address to the nation, Macron said new efforts are needed as “the epidemic is accelerating.”...

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs agreed to a one-year deal with catcher Tony Wolters and designated right-hander James Norwood for assignment Wednesday. Wolters, who figures to back up Willson Contreras, signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates last month and was released March 29. He is a career...

NEW YORK — An Emmy-winning production designer who was known to be a hoarder has been found dead under a pile of garbage in her New York City home. Evelyn Sakash, 66, was found Tuesday lying on her kitchen floor buried under garbage, a police spokesperson said. Sakash was found...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Indiana Hoosiers sat quietly inside their locker room on March 22, 1975. They knew what the first and only loss that season signified — one perfect quest ended while another began. Minutes after losing 92-90 to archrival Kentucky in the Mideast Region championship, the underclassmen vowed...

SPOKANE, Wash. — Serial killer Joseph Edward Duncan III died in U.S. prison recently, having admitted to slaughtering seven people — including five children — in Idaho, Washington state, Montana and California. Some question whether Duncan, whose victims included four members of a single family, killed even more people. Following...

To the prosecution, the witnesses who watched George Floyd’s body go still were regular people — a firefighter, a mixed martial arts fighter, a high school student and her 9-year-old cousin in a T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Love” — going about their daily lives when they happened upon the...

BILLINGS, Mont. — Grizzly bears are slowly expanding the turf where they roam in parts of the northern Rocky Mountains but need continued protections, according to government scientists who concluded that no other areas of the country would be suitable for reintroducing the fearsome predators. The Fish and Wildlife Service...

The NFL has plans to eliminate some restrictions from its current covid-19 protocols for vaccinated players, coaches and personnel. In a memo sent to the 32 teams Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press, the league detailed potential amendments to the protocols used throughout the 2020 season and current offseason....