Associated Press stories, Page 2017
‘Ren & Stimpy’ to make TV comeback in new Comedy Central show
The brazen humor of “The Ren & Stimpy Show” will be revisited in a new Comedy Central version of the animated series. The original program that was a hit for Nickelodeon will be reimagined in partnership with Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Comedy Central said Wednesday. Ren, a psychologically challenged Chihuahua, and...
MLB tightening virus protocols, including masks in dugouts
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is cracking down on coronavirus safety protocols, mandating that players and staff wear face coverings at all times, including in the dugouts and bullpens, except for players on the field of play. The league sent a memo to teams Wednesday outlining changes to its...
5 dead in suspected arson in Denver
DENVER — Five people were found dead Wednesday after an early morning fire destroyed a suburban Denver home — a blaze authorities said they suspect was intentionally set. Three people escaped the fire by jumping from the home’s second floor. Investigators believe the victims were a toddler, an older child...
Facebook, citing coronavirus misinformation, deletes Trump post
Facebook has deleted a post by President Donald Trump for violating its policy against spreading misinformation about coronavirus. The post in question featured a link to a Fox News video in which Trump says children are “virtually immune” to the virus. Facebook said Wednesday that the “video includes false claims...
Rookie Cale Makar, Avs cruise to round-robin win over StarsVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — High-scoring 21-year-old rookie defenseman Cale Makar connected on an early power-play goal, 30-year-old Pavel Francouz recorded a shutout in his postseason debut and the Colorado Avalanche cruised to a 4-0 round-robin win over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. Joonas Donskoi, Vladislav Namestnikov and Andre Burakovsky also...
Trump’s bank subpoenaed by New York prosecutors in criminal inquiry
NEW YORK — The New York prosecutor who has been fighting, unsuccessfully so far, to get President Donald Trump’s tax returns had better luck last year getting a bank to turn over his financial records. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance sent a subpoena last year to...
Lightning beat Bruins, improve to 2-0 in seeding roundVideo
TORONTO — Tyler Johnson scored the winning goal with 87 seconds left to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 victory over Boston on Wednesday and send the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins to their second straight loss in the NHL’s playoff seeding round. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots for the...
Leafs’ Jake Muzzin out of the hospital, will not return in seriesVideo
TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin has been discharged from the hospital and is back at the team’s hotel, and he will not return to the lineup during Toronto’s playoff qualification series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Maple Leafs said in a statement Muzzin will remain in...
Bills CB Tre’Davious White considers opting outVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White is unsure if he will opt in or opt out of the upcoming NFL season. White has until 4 p.m. Thursday to decide on his status for the year. The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the league...
Coyotes storm past Predators in Game 3 of qualifying roundVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Conor Garland and Taylor Hall each scored in the third period, and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators, 4-1, on Wednesday. Now the Coyotes, seeded 11th in the West in the NHL’s restart, can eliminate the sixth-seeded Predators in Game 4 on Friday in this best-of-five...
Panthers avoid elimination, beat Islanders in Game 3Video
TORONTO — Brian Boyle and the Florida Panthers turned the tables on the New York Islanders by playing with more discipline and patience to avoid being swept from the playoffs. Boyle and Mike Hoffman scored goals 2 minutes, 47 seconds apart, and the Panthers took advantage of several miscues in...
Chicago schools to begin fall remotely, dropping hybrid planVideo
CHICAGO — Chicago’s mayor on Wednesday announced that the nation’s third-largest school district will not welcome students back to the classroom, after all, and will instead rely only on remote instruction to start the school year. The city’s decision to abandon its plan to have students attend in-person classes for...
U.S. officials dispute Trump’s claim that Beirut was attacked
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that most people think the deadly explosion Tuesday in Lebanon that killed at least 130 people was an accident, contradicting President Donald Trump, who said American generals told him it was likely caused by a bomb. Esper said the United States was...
Ravens WR Marquise Brown sporting larger frame, more speedVideo
Marquise Brown put up respectable numbers as a rookie last year with the Baltimore Ravens, leading the team’s wide receivers in receptions and touchdowns as the primary downfield target for NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. Now, after an offseason in which Brown fastidiously lifted weights and finally put a lingering injury...
Florida becomes 2nd state to top 500K coronavirus cases as testing resumes after stormVideo
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida surpassed 500,000 coronavirus cases Wednesday as testing ramped up following a temporary shutdown of some sites because of Tropical Storm Isaias, state officials said. That makes Florida second only to California among states with people diagnosed with the disease. A long line of cars waited...
2 tornadoes confirmed in eastern Pennsylvania during storm
PHILADELPHIA — The National Weather Service has confirmed that tornadoes touched down in Bucks and Montgomery counties during Tuesday’s storm. The weather service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey said more details would be provided later such as the strength and exact location of the storms, which were among six...
Trump considering giving convention speech from White House
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he’s considering delivering his Republican convention acceptance speech from the White House after his initial plans to hold the event in two battleground states were foiled by coronavirus concerns and health restrictions. The move would mark an unprecedented use of public property...
NCAA board hands call on fall championships to each division; Division III cancels
The NCAA Board of Governors on Wednesday directed each division of the association to decide independently by Aug. 21 whether it will be able to conduct championship events safely in fall sports such as soccer, volleyball and lower levels of football during the coronavirus pandemic. The association’s highest governing body...
Virus testing in U.S. is dropping, even as deaths mount
U.S. testing for the coronavirus is dropping even as infections remain high and the death toll rises by more than 1,000 a day, a worrisome trend that officials attribute largely to Americans getting discouraged over having to wait hours to get a test and days or weeks to find out...
State Department watchdog resigns after predecessor’s ouster
WASHINGTON — The State Department’s acting inspector general resigned abruptly on Wednesday following the firing of his predecessor in circumstances now being investigated by Congress. Stephen Akard announced his resignation just two days after Democrats issued subpoenas for several of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s top aides to answer questions...
U.S. officials dispute Trump’s claim Beirut was attacked
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said Wednesday there is no indication the massive explosion in Lebanon that killed at least 100 people was an attack, contradicting President Donald Trump who said American generals told him it was likely caused by a bomb. The officials, speaking only on condition of anonymity to...
Biden won’t go to Milwaukee to accept Democratic nominationVideo
Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept the Democratic presidential nomination because of concerns over the coronavirus, party officials said Wednesday, signaling a move to a convention that essentially has become entirely virtual. It is the latest example of the pandemic’s sweeping effects on the 2020 presidential election...
For Liam Neeson and son, ‘Made in Italy’ was a family affairVideo
When Liam Neeson sits down with a script, he usually knows within five pages whether he wants to do it. He calls it his “cup of tea” test. If he finds himself eager to get one, it’s not a good sign. But he found himself unable to break away from...
Facebook launches new TikTok clone, Instagram Reels
NEW YORK — Facebook’s Instagram is launching its answer to the hit short video app TikTok — Instagram Reels. The new Instagram feature will let users record and edit 15-second videos with audio, and will let users add visual effects. Users will be able to share Reels with followers in...
UConn becomes 1st FBS program to cancel football over virus
STORRS, Conn. — UConn canceled its 2020-21 football season Wednesday, becoming the first FBS program to do so because of the coronavirus pandemic, as other schools had taken the Huskies off their schedules and the governor was reluctant to allow UConn to travel to states with high infection rates. “After...
