Associated Press stories, Page 2109
Universal Orlando seeks to reopen theme parks in early June
ORLANDO, Fla. — Universal Orlando is aiming to reopen its theme parks in early June, a resort official said Thursday, more than two months after the company joined crosstown rivals Disney World and SeaWorld in closing their gates to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Universal Orlando executive John...
Trump declares emergency for flooded Michigan communities
MIDLAND, Mich. — Many Central Michigan residents remained cut off from their homes Thursday even as floodwaters receded, with senior citizens among the scores of displaced people staying in shelters after flooding overwhelmed two dams, submerged homes and washed out roads. President Donald Trump, who was in Michigan to visit...
Coroner: Smoke inhalation killed 34 in California boat fire
LOS ANGELES — Coroner’s reports for the 34 victims who died in a scuba boat fire off the Southern California coast last year show they died of carbon monoxide poisoning before they were burned, authorities said Thursday. All thirty-three scuba divers and one crew member died in the Sept. 2...
Man who filmed Arbery shooting video charged in his slaying
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Georgia man whose cellphone video of Ahmaud Arbery’s fatal shooting helped reignite the case was charged with murder Thursday, making him the third person arrested more than two months after the slaying. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 50-year-old William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. was arrested on...
Age-defying Frank Gore still running, excited to help JetsVideo
NEW YORK — Frank Gore just keeps running — defying logic and Father Time with each hard-fought yard. At 37 years old, the standout running back is considered ancient in football terms, playing a position at which most guys his age and with his workload would have been long retired....
Chase Briscoe follows tragedy with Xfinity victoryVideo
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Chase Briscoe was grateful to bring a moment or two of happiness to wife Marissa in the worst week of their lives. It was Tuesday, during a 12-week exam, that they learned that their expected child — they only learned Monday that it was a girl —...
‘Hundreds of millions’ in fraudulent unemployment benefits paid
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Impostors have used the stolen information of tens of thousands of people in Washington to fraudulently receive hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment benefits, the head of the state’s Employment Security Department said Thursday. Commissioner Suzi LeVine said that the state is currently working with federal...
US begins crackdown on unvetted coronavirus antibody blood tests
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators are moving ahead with a crackdown on scores of antibody tests for the coronavirus that have not yet been shown to work. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday published a list of more than two dozen test makers that have failed to file applications to...
Baseball players respond to MLB on coronavirus protocols
NEW YORK — The baseball players’ association gave management a wide-ranging response Thursday to a 67-page proposed set of protocols for a season to be played during the coronavirus pandemic. Management had presented the union and the 30 teams the proposed draft last Friday. The union said Thursday it addressed:...
Divided Senate confirms John Ratcliffe as national intelligence chief
WASHINGTON — A sharply divided Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence on Thursday, with Democrats refusing to support the nomination over fears that he will politicize the intelligence community’s work under President Donald Trump. All Democrats opposed Ratcliffe, making him the first DNI to be installed on...
FBI says Texas naval base shooting is ‘terrorism-related’
A shooting at a Texas naval air station that wounded a sailor and left the gunman dead is being investigated as “terrorism-related,” the FBI said Thursday. The shooting began around 6:15 a.m. Thursday at Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi. The shooter tried to speed through a gate at the base in...
Experts: Low traffic numbers expected for Memorial Day weekend
Vehicular traffic is down nearly 40 percent on Pennsylvania highways since the onset of the pandemic in March, leading traffic experts to say that on this Memorial Day weekend, normally high-volume traffic will be down. “As of April 29, which is the most recent date for which we have verified...
Texas mayor says women can’t lead prayer at council meetings
WYLIE, Texas — The mayor of a small Dallas suburb told a fellow City Council member in an email that women shouldn’t be allowed to lead prayer at public meetings because it goes against the Bible. Wylie Mayor Eric Hogue quoted two New Testament scriptures in the email sent to...
Stocks end lower on Wall Street as US-China tensions continue
Stocks closed broadly lower on Wall Street on Thursday as investors weighed more data showing the economic damage being caused by the coronavirus pandemic and another flareup in tensions between the U.S. and China. The S&P 500 fell 0.8%, shedding some of the gains it made in a solid rally...
Forecasters predict busy 2020 Atlantic hurricane season
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With forecasters predicting another intense Atlantic hurricane season with as many as 13 to 19 named storms, disaster preparedness experts say it’s critically important for people in evacuation zones to plan to stay with friends or family, rather than end up in shelters during the coronavirus...
Judge grants sanctions against DOJ over citizenship question
A federal judge on Thursday agreed to impose financial sanctions against the Trump administration for failing to produce hundreds of documents during litigation over whether a citizenship question could be added to the 2020 census. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman said in a ruling that the Trump administration’s failure to...
Police: Metro Phoenix retail complex shooter felt ‘bullied’
GLENDALE, Ariz. — A gunman who opened fire at a suburban Phoenix restaurant and retail complex, injuring three people, wanted to target shoppers in retaliation for bullying he had suffered, authorities said Thursday. “He said that he went to Westgate to target victims. He wanted to gain some respect, and...
Tom Brady’s Super Bowl journeys part of 2021 ESPN seriesVideo
Tom Brady’s journey to each of his nine Super Bowls with the New England Patriots will be the subject of an ESPN series released next year. Entitled “The Man in the Arena: Tom Brady,” the nine-episode series will include a look from Brady’s perspective at the six NFL titles and...
NFL looks at adding ‘booth umpire,’ tech adviser for refereesVideo
The NFL is considering adding a “booth umpire” and a senior technology adviser to the referee to assist the officiating crew. The league also is looking at other rules changes, including an alternative to the onside kick. NFL clubs received a list of potential rules changes Thursday. Owners will vote...
Furloughs becoming layoffs at Trump resort in South Florida
DORAL, Fla. — Some furloughs at a Trump golf resort in South Florida are becoming permanent layoffs. A notice that the Trump National Doral Miami filed with the State of Florida last week says it is permanently laying off 250 workers out of 560 employees who were furloughed in March....
Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen released from prison
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen was released from federal prison Thursday to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Cohen had been serving a federal prison sentence at FCI Otisville in New...
Lessons from 1918: Old pandemic is a murky guide for sports
The image is striking: Fans watching a college football game in the midst of a pandemic, wearing masks with a smidge of social distance between them on row after row of bleacher seats. The photo is 102 years old. The Georgia Tech alumni Twitter feed posted a black-and-white photo of...
Man, woman found shot dead in Philadelphia home
PHILADELPHIA — Authorities say a woman and a man have been found shot to death in a northeast Philadelphia home. Police called to the Bridesburg home shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday found a 37-year-old woman with three gunshot wounds. A 43-year-old man was found in the hallway with a gunshot...
Lori Loughlin, husband plead guilty in college admissions case, to serve prison time
BOSTON — Actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have agreed to plead guilty to charges in the college admissions bribery case and serve two months in prison, according to court papers filed Thursday. The couple agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail...
Another 2.4 million apply for unemployment benefits, 39 million in all since coronavirus hit
WASHINGTON — More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession. Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid...
