Associated Press stories, Page 1821
Obama family matriarch has died in a Kenyan hospital at 99
Sarah Obama, the matriarch of former U.S. President Barack Obama’s Kenyan family has died, relatives and officials confirmed Monday. She was at least 99 years old. Mama Sarah, as the step-grandmother of the former U.S. president was fondly called, promoted education for girls and orphans in her rural Kogelo village....
Paris court convicts, fines pharma firm for deadly diet pill
A French pharmaceutical company on Monday was ordered to pay hundreds of millions of euros in damages and fines for its role in one of the nation’s biggest modern health scandals, with a Paris court finding the firm guilty of manslaughter and other charges for selling a diabetes drug blamed...
A Soviet-era legacy, Lada cars awaken passions for Cubans
Uncomfortable, wasteful, tough, rustic. All are descriptions heard about the old Russian-built Lada cars cruising the roads in Cuba, where it is common to see a driver standing next to the raised hood of one pondering what has gone wrong this time. Yet, despite the flaws, Ladas arouse passions. The...
Richest Czech man among 5 killed in Alaska helicopter crash
A contracted helicopter carrying guides and guests from a lodge on a heli-skiing trip in Alaska’s backcountry crashed, killing the pilot and four others, including the Czech Republic’s richest man. The only other person onboard was in serious condition but stable Sunday at an Anchorage hospital, Alaska State Troopers said....
Late fade pushes S&P 500 slightly below its record high
Stock indexes closed mostly lower Monday, pulling the S&P 500 slightly below the all-time high it set last week, while nudging the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another record high. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, recovering most of a 0.8% slide earlier in the day. Banks had some of the...
Pandemic masks ongoing child abuse crisis as cases plummet
LANSFORD, Pa. — Ava Lerario lived in a home marked by love and chaos, even before the walls of the pandemic started closing in on her family. Sandwiched between two brothers, the 9-year-old was her father’s princess. She loved to snuggle up with her mom to read. She sometimes lugged...
‘Captain Underpants’ book pulled for ‘passive racism’
A graphic novel for children from the wildly popular “Captain Underpants” series is being pulled from library and book store shelves after its publisher said it “perpetuates passive racism.” The book under scrutiny is 2010’s “The Adventures of Ook and Gluk” by Dav Pilkey, who has apologized, saying it “contains...
Tribeca plans in-person, outdoor film festival for June
NEW YORK — The Tribeca Film Festival said Monday that it plans to hold its 20th edition in-person this June and with outdoor screenings spread throughout New York’s five boroughs. The springtime festival — canceled last year due to the pandemic — will instead turn to the summer for its...
Jim Litke: NCAA tourney hits halfway point, still the field vs. Gonzaga
The Elite Eight marks the halfway point of the NCAA Tournament, but don’t blink. It has the shelf life of chicken nuggets. By the time your head hits the pillow Tuesday night, we’ll be down to a Final Four and find out whether the selection committee is any better at...
Southwest Airlines orders 100 Boeing 737 Max planes
NEW YORK — Southwest Airlines said Monday it’s expanding its all-Boeing fleet with an order for 100 737 MAX airplanes. The Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two crashes that killed 346 people. Regulators in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Brazil and other countries cleared the plane to resume...
Pope grants ‘time out’ to German archbishop faulted over abuse
BERLIN — Pope Francis has granted a “time out” to a German archbishop who offered his resignation after being faulted for his handling of allegations of sexual abuse in his previous diocese, church authorities said Monday. Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hesse’s offer on March 18 followed the release of a report...
Jurors shown video at ex-officer’s trial in George Floyd’s deathVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — The video of George Floyd gasping for breath was essentially Exhibit A as the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee on the Black man’s neck went on trial Monday on charges of murder and manslaughter. Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell showed the jurors the footage at the earliest...
Hungary first in European Union for vaccinations, and deaths
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary has vaccinated more of its population than any other country in the European Union, according to figures from an EU agency, but it continues to be one of the world’s worst in the number of covid-19 deaths per capita. The Central European country has given at...
WHO report says animals likely source of covid-19
BEIJING — A joint WHO-China study on the origins of covid-19 says that transmission of the virus from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak is “extremely unlikely,” according to a draft copy obtained by the Associated Press. The findings offer...
Thousands flee into Thailand following Myanmar air strikes
YANGON, Myanmar — A series of airstrikes by Myanmar’s military along the country’s border raised concerns Monday that more villagers might flee to neighboring Thailand in large numbers, adding a new dimension to an already volatile crisis. The strikes in areas populated predominantly by ethnic Karen people represent another escalation...
7 wounded when dispute sparks shootout at Cleveland motorcycle club
CLEVELAND — A shootout at a private motorcycle club in Cleveland that left seven people wounded was apparently sparked by a dispute involving a man and a woman, authorities said. The shooting occurred around 3 a.m. Sunday inside the Spot Night Club. Authorities said the man involved in the argument...
Canal service provider says container ship in Suez set free
SUEZ, Egypt — Salvage teams on Monday set free a colossal container ship that has halted global trade through the Suez Canal, a canal services firm said, bringing an end to a crisis that for nearly a week clogged one of the world’s most vital maritime arteries. Helped by the...
This date in sports history: March 29
1929 — The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup with a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers to complete a two-game sweep. 1940 — Joe Louis knocks out Johnny Paychek in the second round at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain the world heavyweight title. 1941 —...
U.S. men lose to Honduras, miss 3rd straight Olympic soccer tournamentVideo
American players fell to the field at the final whistle. Another missed Olympics soccer tournament for the U.S. men. Another failed four-cycle. Juan Carlos Obregón scored in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, goalkeeper David Ochoa committed a blunder that gifted Luis Palma a goal two minutes into the...
Jameson Taillon to skip 1st turn in Yankees’ rotation
TAMPA, Fla. — Corey Kluber will follow ace Gerrit Cole in the New York Yankees’ rotation, and former Pittsburgh Pirates standout Jameson Taillon will be skipped the first time through as the team builds him up slowly in his return following Tommy John surgery. Cole will start Thursday’s opener against...
Man fires gun at Everglades park rangers; later arrested
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. — A man who fired a gun at Everglades National Park rangers was arrested Sunday evening, the park said. The park tweeted at 8:15 p.m. Sunday that visitors and residents in Flamingo, a section of the park, should shelter in place. A later tweet said the...
Billy Horschel outlasts Scottie Scheffler in sloppy final of Match Play
AUSTIN, Texas — Billy Horschel had just enough left in the tank to win the Dell Technologies Match Play on Sunday with plenty of help from Scottie Scheffler in a sloppy end to the longest week in golf. Horschel made only one birdie in the championship match, chipping in from...
Body camera video shows Maryland officers berating 5-year-old boyVideo
SILVER SPRING, Md. — A police department in Maryland has released body camera video that captured two of its officers berating a 5-year-old boy who had walked away from his elementary school, calling him a “little beast” and threatening him with a beating. The video released Friday by the Montgomery...
Inside job: Michigan goes to the paint to top FSU
INDIANAPOLIS — What was touted as the marquee matchup in the Sweet 16 turned into a dud. For everyone but Michigan, that is. Seven-foot-1 freshman Hunter Dickinson had 14 points and eight rebounds and the top-seeded Wolverines took the inside route to the Elite Eight, pounding away in the paint...
Record rain causes flash flooding in Tennessee; 4 deadVideo
Torrential rain across Tennessee flooded homes and at least one church and left roads impassable, prompting dozens of people to be rescued in the Nashville area. Authorities said four bodies were found Sunday in the flood’s aftermath. Nashville received more than 7 inches of rain, the second-highest two-day rainfall total...
