Associated Press stories, Page 2124
Bison transfers planned for US park, Indian reservation
BILLINGS, Mont. — Hundreds of wild bison would be transferred from federal lands to a South Dakota American Indian Reservation and a North Dakota national park as a first step in the latest initiative to restore the burly animals to Western U.S. lands that they once roamed by the millions,...
Stuck on cruise ships during pandemic, crews beg to go home
MIAMI — Carolina Vásquez lost track of days and nights, unable to see the sunlight while stuck for two weeks in a windowless cruise ship cabin as a fever took hold of her body. On the worst night of her encounter with COVID-19, the Chilean woman, a line cook on...
White father, son charged with murder in Ahmaud Arbery case
BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The white father and son stood quietly Friday as the judge read murder and aggravated assault charges against them in the fatal shooting of a black man who was running through their Georgia neighborhood. In just a few minutes, their first court appearance was over. It was...
California Gov. Newsom formally endorses Biden for president
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom formally endorsed Joe Biden for president on Friday, praising the former vice president for his “deep compassion and empathy” during a virtual high-dollar fundraiser in partnership with the Democratic National Committee. “I just couldn’t be more proud of you and the prospects of...
Some NBA practice facilities re-open; some teams to begin testing players for coronavirusVideo
MIAMI — The NBA took tiny steps toward a return to normalcy Friday, as a small number of practice facilities reopened for workouts and at least one team received permission from the league to test players and staff for the coronavirus. Meanwhile, NBA commissioner Adam Silver took part in a...
Taiwan baseball fans allowed inside stadium but sit apartVideo
NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan — There were fans in the stands for baseball in Taiwan on Friday, albeit spaced far apart as a safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus. Up to 1,000 spectators are allowed at each ballpark in Taiwan, but they still are barred from bringing in food...
Brett Favre denies claim he was paid for no-show workVideo
MILWAUKEE — Brett Favre on Friday disputed a Mississippi state auditor’s report that said the Hall of Fame quarterback received $1.1 million in welfare money for multiple speaking engagements that he didn’t actually attend. Favre told ESPN Wisconsin’s “Wilde & Tausch” radio show he instead was being paid for his...
Report: MLB cutting this year’s draft to 5 rounds to save clubs bonus pool moneyVideo
NEW YORK — MLB will cuts its amateur draft from 40 rounds to five this year, a move that figures to save teams about $30 million. Clubs gained the ability to reduce the draft as part of their March 26 agreement with the players’ association, and MLB plans to finalize...
‘Slap Shot’ still iconic in hockey despite sport’s changesVideo
A few nights after one of their players was injured by a dirty hit, the Johnstown Jets plotted to exact some revenge on Buffalo’s Greg Neeld. An all-out brawl broke out during warm-ups, and the North American Hockey League game was postponed, much to the dismay of ownership and presumably...
Colts’ Philip Rivers named coach-in-waiting at Alabama high schoolVideo
FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers has already lined up the first job of his post-playing career. Rivers was introduced Friday as the head coach-in-waiting at St. Michael Catholic High School in a news conference on campus. The 16-year veteran of the Los Angeles Chargers signed a one-year...
Big East considering not allowing sports on campuses that are closedVideo
The presidents of the 11 members of the Big East are leaning toward not allowing sports to be played at schools this season unless their campuses are open. Commissioner Val Ackerman disclosed the thinking of the presidents Friday in a wide-ranging virtual interview with members of the media about the...
SeaWorld develops plans for reopening; no official date set
ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld guests could be sitting in every other row of the stadium to watch orca shows when the parks eventually reopen, the company’s CEO said Friday. Interim CEO Marc Swanson gave an update Friday on a coronavirus safety plan under development, but no official reopening dates have...
IRS sets Wednesday deadline for direct deposit stimulus payments
WASHINGTON — The IRS said it will accept bank account information until noon Wednesday for people who want to receive stimulus payments by direct deposit. After that, the IRS will send the money by check to the address on file, with those payments expected to arrive in late May and...
WVU furloughing about 875 staffers as virus hits revenues
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University is furloughing around 875 staffers due to a possible $40 million loss from the coronavirus pandemic, the college said Friday. The school issued a statement saying the furloughs will start on May 24 and have staffers return to work either June 28 or July...
New Mexico town near vast US reservation shuts everyone out
GALLUP, N.M. — Like clockwork, payday arrives and tens of thousands of people from the Navajo reservation and other rural stretches along the New Mexico-Arizona border flood into Gallup, a freewheeling desert oasis of just 22,000 that can quickly quadruple in size with all the visitors. Not now. As the...
Mike Pence says lack of religious services has been ‘burden’
URBANDALE, Iowa — Vice President Mike Pence spoke Friday to a group of faith leaders in Iowa about the importance of resuming religious services, saying the cancellations in the name of slowing the spread of the coronavirus have “been a burden” for congregants. Pence spoke with the religious leaders and...
House, Trump agree: Supreme Court should settle financial records subpoena dispute
WASHINGTON — All sides told the Supreme Court on Friday that the justices should go ahead and settle the blockbuster dispute over congressional subpoenas for President Donald Trump’s financial records from an accounting firm and two banks. Attorneys for the House, the Justice Department and Trump filed extra briefs that...
Donald Trump knocks Joe Biden for campaigning from basement amid coronavirus
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump needled his Democratic rival Joe Biden on Friday for limiting his campaign appearances to virtual events from the basement of his home in Delaware. “I’d love to see him get out of the basement so he can speak,” Trump said in a telephone interview with...
1 law firm gets lion’s share of $112M in NFL concussion fees
PHILADELPHIA — After years of infighting over $112 million in legal fees in the NFL concussion case, a federal appeals court has approved a plan that gives nearly half the money to a single law firm. The decision Thursday grants New York-based Seeger Weiss over $51 million, more than 10...
Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. kids are obese, according to latest data
NEW YORK — Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. children are obese, according to the latest national data. The news is disappointing, given that programs across the country have for years been trying to reduce childhood obesity, one expert said. “We really were expecting and hoping to see the trends decrease,”...
Crossings rise on US northern border; many are Mexicans
SWANTON, Vt. — The number of people apprehended for illegally crossing from Canada into the United States along its northern border has nearly tripled over the past three years, and a growing portion are Mexican citizens, according to federal data. One Mexican man who crossed illegally to work on a...
Formula One still hopeful of racing but acknowledges ‘remote possibility’ of no seasonVideo
PARIS — Discussions to host Formula One races in July are at an advanced stage, although F1 chairman Chase Carey cautions “the remote possibility of no racing in 2020” remains. The first 10 races of the season were postponed or canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, leading to a huge loss...
Lawyers: Investigators recommend that whistleblower at HHS be reinstated
WASHINGTON — Federal investigators have found “reasonable grounds” that a government whistleblower was punished for opposing widespread use of an unproven drug that President Donald Trump touted as a remedy for covid-19, his lawyers said Friday. Dr. Rick Bright headed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. He had received...
Tom Brady’s move to Tampa Bay posed late challenges for networksVideo
Tom Brady’s move to Tampa Bay didn’t just create ripples with fans. It caused networks to drastically rework their last-minute requests with the NFL scheduling office to make sure the Buccaneers got as many high-profile dates as possible. When the NFL’s regular-season schedule was announced Thursday night, all of the...
Trump administration asks court to toss lawsuit over ERA
RICHMOND, Va. — The Trump administration has asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by three Democratic state attorneys general seeking to force the U.S. archivist to recognize Virginia’s vote to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and adopt it in the U.S. Constitution. Virginia became the 38th and...
