Associated Press stories, Page 1996
Pandemic-induced spending spurs sales at Home Depot, WalmartVideo
Americans turned to Walmart and Home Depot for supplies and do-it-yourself projects as they stayed close to home at a time when new cases of virus surged, resulting in soaring sales for their fiscal second quarter. Walmart’s online sales nearly doubled in the fiscal second quarter, helped by an expansion...
Woman drowns after rescuing children in northwest Minnesota
BAGLEY, Minn. — An 18-year-old woman drowned after pulling several children from turbulent river water below a dam in northwestern Minnesota, authorities said. The teen and about seven children related to her were sliding over a rushing dam that separates Clearwater Lake and Clearwater River and got caught up in...
Over $700K raised for slain 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant’s funeral in North Carolina
WILSON, N.C. — More than $780,000 has been raised for the funeral service expenses of a slain 5-year-old boy in North Carolina whose death has captured national attention. The donations poured into a GoFundMe page organized by Gwen Hinnant, who identifies herself on the website as Cannon Hinnant’s grandmother. “This...
Slain North Carolina 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant remembered for big smile
WILSON, N.C. — The North Carolina 5-year-old fatally shot while playing in his front yard carried a big smile and a big heart, the boy’s grandfather recalled at his funeral. Merrill Race joined others at grandson Cannon Hinnant’s funeral Thursday night to mourn the boy killed as he rode his...
Champagne makers fix harvest quotas, as virus kills the fizz
PARIS — French Champagne producers decided Tuesday to put unprecedented limits on the quantity of grapes they’ll harvest this year in hopes of propping up prices and containing damage from the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, record amounts of grapes may need to be destroyed or sold to distilleries at...
S&P 500 closes at a record, erasing last of pandemic lossesVideo
NEW YORK — Wall Street clawed back the last of the historic, frenzied losses unleashed by the new coronavirus, as the S&P 500 closed at an all-time high Tuesday. The day’s move was a relatively mild one, nudging the index up 7.79 points, or 0.2%, to 3,389.78. That eclipses the...
Polish health minister, key official in virus fight, resigns
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s health minister, a doctor who has been a leading figure in the government’s fight against the coronavirus, resigned Tuesday following questions about the procurement of questionable medical equipment. Dr. Lukasz Szumowski, a cardiologist, announced at a news conference in Warsaw that he was stepping down to...
As virus cases fall, South Africa allows liquor sales
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa, which had one of the world’s strictest anti-coronavirus lockdowns for five months, relaxed its restrictions Tuesday, permitting the sales of alcohol and cigarettes in response to decreasing new cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19. In a festive mood, people lined up at shops across the country wearing...
Trump to pardon women’s suffrage leader Susan B. AnthonyVideo
WASHINGTON — As he works to curry favor with women voters, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will pardon Susan B. Anthony, a women’s suffrage leader arrested for voting in 1872 in violation of laws permitting only men to vote. Trump’s support has been eroding among suburban white women...
Coin shortage hits retailers, laundromats, tooth fairy
The national coin shortage has been an unusual side effect of the pandemic. Among its victims? Retailers, laundromats and even the tooth fairy. The Federal Reserve announced in June that the supply system for coins had been severely disrupted by the pandemic. While there are still enough coins out there,...
Ryan O’Reilly scores 2, Blues beat Canucks to tie series
EDMONTON, Alberta — Ryan O’Reilly had two goals and an assist as the St. Louis Blues beat the Vancouver Canucks, 3-1, in Game 4 on Monday night to even in their first-round playoff series. Alex Pietrangelo also scored and had an assist and David Perron had two assists for the...
Michelle Obama assails Trump as Democrats open conventionVideo
NEW YORK — Michelle Obama delivered a passionate broadside against President Donald Trump during Monday’s opening night of the Democratic National Convention, assailing the Republican president as unfit for the job and warning that the nation’s mounting crises would only get worse if he’s reelected. The former first lady issued...
DeBrusk, Bruins rally in 3rd to beat Hurricanes 4-3Video
TORONTO — Jake DeBrusk scored twice in Boston’s dominating third period to help the Bruins rally and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Monday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Brad Marchand and Connor Clifton also scored in the third, helping Boston erase a 2-0 deficit...
Trump rule on transgender health blocked at the 11th hour
WASHINGTON — A federal judge blocked the Trump administration on Monday from enforcing a new regulation that would roll back health care protections for transgender people. Finalized days after the Supreme Court barred sex discrimination against LGBT individuals on the job, the regulation from the federal Department of Health and...
Avalanche overwhelm Coyotes, 7-1, to take 3-1 series leadVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Nazem Kadri had two goals and an assist, Philipp Grubauer stopped 14 shots and the Colorado Avalanche overwhelmed the Arizona Coyotes, 7-1, on Monday to take a 3-1 lead their first-round playoff series. The Avalanche jumped on Arizona after losing 4-2 in Game 3, scoring three first-period...
Nats 2B Luis Garcia 1st player born in 2000s to hit homer
ATLANTA — Luis Garcia of the Washington Nationals became the first player born in the 2000s to hit a homer in the big leagues. The 20-year-old second baseman made history with a two-run shot into the right-field seats off Atlanta’s Touki Toussaint in the second inning. The youngest player in...
Covid-19, not championships, hot topic at SEC practicesVideo
SEC teams opened preseason camp Monday with the precarious status of the season largely overshadowing even the annual ambitions of Alabama and Georgia. Questions such as how will LSU fare without quarterback Joe Burrow took a backseat to uncertainty. Quarterback battles seem fairly inconsequential with covid-19 threatening the season —...
LeBron James on his return to postseason: ‘This is the toughest’
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — LeBron James never took it for granted, no matter how routine it became. He never counted on playing even one playoff game in a season, even long after it became viewed as a failure if he didn’t play for a title. The NBA is hard....
NHL goaltenders putting on puck-stopping clinic in playoffs
Nearly 20 years ago, Kevin Weekes and goaltending coach Sudarshan Maharaj rented some ice time at a Toronto arena with a Chinese food buffet above them and worked on the fundamentals of the position. It took Weekes’ game to a new level and he was reminded of the extra work...
Top NASCAR drivers welcome more road races at DaytonaVideo
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Racing the road course at Daytona International Speedway could have been a debacle. No practice. No qualifying. No experience for most of the field. Drivers balked, some fearing a lack of preparation would result in a ton of consternation. But the Cup Series’ debut race on...
Lightning win, put Blue Jackets on brink of elimination
TORONTO — Andrei Vasilevskiy had 28 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-1, on Monday to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series. Barclay Goodrow and Yanni Gourde each had a goal and an assist as the Lightning pushed the Blue Jackets...
Man dies in Arizona water slide’s support structure
Police say a 32-year-old homeless man has died after getting trapped inside the support structure for a water slide at a Scottsdale park. Scottsdale police spokesman Officer Kevin Watts said an officer heard someone calling out for help early Monday morning at the Eldorado Aquatic and Fitness Center. Authorities initially...
Actress Sharon Stone criticizes covid-19 testing in MontanaVideo
HELENA, Mont. — Actress Sharon Stone is criticizing the availability of covid-19 testing in Montana, where her sister and brother-in-law are hospitalized with the respiratory virus. The Meadville native posted a video Sunday on Instagram expressing frustration that there aren’t enough tests for front-line workers and people who have had...
Bengals CB Trae Waynes has surgery on chest muscle
CINCINNATI — Cinncinati Bengals cornerback Trae Waynes had surgery Monday for a torn pectoral muscle, a significant setback to a defense in transition. The Bengals signed Waynes to a three-year deal as a free agent from the Minnesota Vikings, a key part of their defensive overhaul. Waynes was expected to...
Browns RB Nick Chubb being checked for concussionVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Browns Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb is being evaluated for a concussion after being tackled on the first day players wore pads. Chubb, who rushed for 1,494 yards last season, was taken down after catching a short pass by linebacker Mack Wilson about halfway through Monday’s...
