Associated Press stories, Page 1674
Cautious cuddling? England to OK hugs as lockdown eases
LONDON — In England, it’s going to be time to hug again. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to give the go-ahead for that much-missed human contact when he announces the next round of lockdown easing later Monday in the wake of a sharp fall in new coronavirus infections....
Biden to join meeting of NATO’s eastern members by video
BUCHAREST, Romania — U.S. President Joe Biden will join a meeting by video link of presidents of countries on NATO’s eastern flank being held Monday in the Romanian capital, according to the offices of the Romanian and Polish presidents. The presidents gathering represent the so-called Bucharest Nine, a group of...
Hamas targets Jerusalem after clashes at revered mosque
JERUSALEM — Hamas militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Monday, including a barrage that set off air raid sirens as far away as Jerusalem, after hundreds of Palestinians were hurt in clashes with Israeli police at a flashpoint religious site in the contested holy city. The rocket fire...
2 Catholic bishops at odds over Biden receiving Communion
They share Roman Catholicism as a faith and California as their home base. Yet there’s a deep gulf between Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco and Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego in the high-stakes debate over whether politicians who support abortion rights should be denied Communion. Cordileone, who has...
Police: Maryland man killed 3 neighbors, set house ablaze
WOODLAWN, Md. — A Maryland man who neighbors said had a long history of aggression went on a rampage over the weekend, shooting or stabbing three people to death and setting his home on fire before responding officers fatally shot him, police said Sunday. A news release from the Baltimore...
Optimism rising about future of Pimlico with rebuild looming
Frankie Brothers walked into the grandstand at Pimlico Race Course in the late 1980s and early ’90s with his head on a swivel. “I always made sure I knew where the exit was because if somebody dropped a cigarette or something like that, that place would’ve went up in flames,”...
Queen’s cousin accused of willingness to sell Kremlin access
LONDON — An investigative report by British media said Sunday that Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, was willing to use his royal status for personal profit and to seek favors from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The undercover investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 saw reporters...
Martin Truex Jr. dominates at Darlington to 3rd win of year
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Martin Truex Jr. powered his way around Darlington Raceway, sweeping both stages and leading the final 105 laps Sunday. Kyle Larson cut into Truex’s often large lead over the final 30 laps, coming as close as two car-lengths down the stretch. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver...
DK Metcalf turns in respectable 100 time, finishes last in heatVideo
WALNUT, Calif. — Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf couldn’t catch the field in his heat of a 100-meter race at the USA Track and Field Golden Games on Sunday, finishing ninth out of nine but in a respectable time of 10.37 seconds. Although Metcalf didn’t earn a spot in the...
Rory McIlroy ends 18-month streak without a victory
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy found his comfort zone at Quail Hollow and left with a trophy he badly needed. McIlroy closed with a 3-under-par 68 and made it tough on himself at the end Sunday, driving into the hazard left of the 18th fairway and needing two putts from...
Navy seizes weapons in Arabian Sea likely bound for Yemen
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. Navy announced Sunday it seized an arms shipment of thousands of assault weapons, machines guns and sniper rifles hidden aboard a ship in the Arabian Sea, apparently bound for Yemen to support the country’s Houthi rebels. An American defense official told The Associated...
Rick Tocchet, Coyotes agree to part ways after 4 seasons
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Coach Rick Tocchet won’t return for a fifth season with the Arizona Coyotes, the team announced Sunday, saying the sides “mutually agreed to part ways.” The move comes after the Coyotes missed the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons. “After meeting with Rick, we have...
John Tortorella out after 6 years as Blue Jackets coach
COLUMBUS, Ohio — John Tortorella is out as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets after six seasons. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement Sunday that parting ways with the winningest coach in franchise history was a mutual decision. The 62-year-old Tortorella was in the last year of his...
Police say turkey hunter accidentally shot hiker in Missouri
WELDON SPRING, Mo. — A hiker was accidentally shot by a turkey hunter Saturday in the St. Louis area, authorities said. The shooting happened on the Lewis and Clark Trail in the Weldon Spring Conservation Area around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, St. Charles County Police Department spokeswoman Val Joyner said. “It...
7 dead including gunman in Colorado birthday party shooting
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A gunman opened fire at a birthday party in Colorado, slaying six adults before killing himself Sunday, police said. The shooting happened just after midnight in a mobile home park on the east side of Colorado Springs, police said. Officers arrived at a trailer to find...
Alexander Zverev beats Matteo Berrettini to win his 2nd Madrid Open titleVideo
MADRID — Alexander Zverev continued his impressive form going into the French Open by winning his second Madrid Open title on Sunday. After beating top-seeded Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and fourth-ranked Dominic Thiem in the semifinals, Zverev rallied to defeat Matteo Berrettini 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-3 for his second...
House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy says he backs ousting Liz Cheney from No. 3 jobVideo
WASHINGTON — Top House Republican Kevin McCarthy on Sunday publicly endorsed Rep. Elise Stefanik for the post of No. 3 leader, cementing party support of the Donald Trump loyalist over Rep. Liz Cheney, an outspoken critic of the former president for promoting discredited claims that the 2020 election was stolen....
Cyberattack on U.S. pipeline is linked to criminal gangVideo
NEW YORK — The cyberextortion attempt that has forced the shutdown of a vital U.S. pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide that cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity, a person close to the investigation said Sunday....
What are cicadas and why do they bug some people?
Cicadas, red-eyed bugs singing loud sci-fi sounding songs, can seem downright creepy. Especially since the trillions of them coming this year emerge from underground only every 17 years. But they’re not monsters or a plague of locusts. Once you get to know them, scientists say you can appreciate the wonder...
Vax Live concert raises $302 million, exceeds vaccine goalVideo
LOS ANGELES — The Global Citizen fundraising concert advocating the importance of vaccine equity has pulled in $302 million, exceeding the goal for the organization’s campaign. Global Citizen announced Saturday that the funds raised helped procure more than 26 million doses at the “Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the...
Tearful reunions mark second Mother’s Day under pandemic
Joyous reunions among vaccinated parents and children across the country marked this year’s Mother’s Day, the second one celebrated during the coronavirus pandemic. Some families separated by worries of transmitting the virus saw each other for the first time in over a year, emboldened by their vaccinations. Jeanie Codianni of...
Medina Spirit could lose Ky. Derby win; track bans Bob BaffertVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Medina Spirit’s victory in the Kentucky Derby is in serious jeopardy because of a failed postrace drug test, one that led Churchill Downs to suspend Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert on Sunday in the latest scandal to plague the sport. Baffert denied all wrongdoing and promised...
Death toll soars to 50 in school bombing in Afghan capital
KABUL, Afghanistan — Grieving families buried their dead Sunday following a horrific bombing at a girls’ school in the Afghan capital that killed 50 people, many of them pupils between 11 and 15 years old. The number of wounded in Saturday’s attack climbed to more than 100, said Interior Ministry...
Trump’s ‘Big Lie’ imperils Republicans who don’t embrace it
WASHINGTON — Allegiance to a lie has become a test of loyalty to Donald Trump and a means of self-preservation for Republicans. Trump’s discredited allegations about a stolen election did nothing to save his presidency when courtrooms high and low, state governments and ultimately Congress — meeting in the chaos...
Elon Musk shows humility and hubris as ‘SNL’ hostVideo
Elon Musk showed a combination of humility and hubris as he opened his highly anticipated hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live.” The 49-year-old Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder and one of the world’s richest men opened his monologue by mocking his monotonal speaking style, saying no one can tell when he’s...
