Associated Press stories, Page 2158
Mad magazine illustrator Mort Drucker dies at 91
NEW YORK — Mort Drucker, the Mad Magazine cartoonist who for decades lovingly spoofed politicians, celebrities and popular culture, died Thursday at 91. Drucker’s daughter, Laurie Bachner, told The Associated Press he fell ill last week, having difficulty walking and developing breathing problems. She did not give a specific cause...
Coronavirus shutdown presents challenges for teams, sponsorsVideo
CHICAGO — There are no sponsored power plays at the moment. No doughnut races in the fourth quarter. No calls to the bullpen presented by phone companies. Amid the coronavirus shutdown, sports business executives are having tough conversations about lucrative advertising and marketing contracts with no games on the horizon....
U.N. chief warns covid-19 increases inequality for women
UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday the coronavirus pandemic is deepening existing inequalities and “is having devastating social and economic consequences for women and girls” that could reverse limited progress toward gender equality over the past 25 years. The U.N. chief said in a video message and...
Jimmie Johnson mulls future in red-flagged farewell NASCAR seasonVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR champion and all-around Everyman, has added home-schooling elementary teacher to his resume. The sports stoppage from the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a red flag on Johnson’s farewell tour. He had planned a final season of racing a full NASCAR schedule, but so far...
Tiger Woods ready to play Masters and realizes it has to waitVideo
Tiger Woods felt strong and fit enough to compete for another green jacket. He could sense the adrenaline starting to flow, along with a strange sensation. He was grumpy. Instead of flying to Augusta National for the Masters this week, he was home in Florida, where the only competition for...
Oilers say Colby Cave remains in medically induced comaVideo
TORONTO — Edmonton Oilers forward Colby Cave remains in a medically induced coma in a Toronto hospital after suffering a brain bleed earlier in the week. The Oilers, through Cave’s family, provided an update on Cave’s status Thursday on their Twitter account. “This is giving his brain time to heal...
Pirates 22nd most valuable MLB team, according to Forbes; Yankees topVideo
NEW YORK — Forbes estimates the New York Yankees are baseball’s most valuable franchise at $5 billion, up 9% over last year and 47% more than the No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers at $3.4 billion. The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped 1% to $1.26 billion, 22nd in MLB. The Yankees are second...
NBA, ESPN to present HORSE tournament with current, past starsVideo
The NBA, the National Basketball Players Association and ESPN will stream a HORSE tournament on ESPN’s app. The NBA HORSE Challenge will have eight participants. The quarterfinals are to be shown Sunday and the semifinals and final April 16. The quarterfinal matchups are Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks against...
Chiefs bring back CB Bashaud Breeland on 1-year dealVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back cornerback Bashaud Breeland on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $4.5 million, helping to alleviate one of the Super Bowl champions’ biggest concerns ahead of the NFL Draft. The deal was confirmed to the Associated Press...
General says coronavirus may affect more Navy shipsVideo
WASHINGTON — Pentagon leaders anticipate that the coronavirus may strike more Navy ships at sea after an outbreak aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific infected more than 400 sailors, a top general said Thursday. Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said one member of...
Biden woos skeptical Sanders supporters with new proposals
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled plans to expand eligibility for Medicare and forgive college debt for millions of Americans, as the former vice president begins courting progressives who lost their leader when Bernie Sanders left the presidential race. Biden’s swift move to shore up his left flank underscores...
‘You can’t relax’: New York coronavirus deaths up, but hospital trends hopeful
NEW YORK — New York state posted a record-breaking increase in coronavirus deaths for a third consecutive day even as a surge of patients in overwhelmed hospitals slowed, while isolation-weary residents were warned Thursday the crisis was far from over. The number of deaths rose by 799 to more than...
Smithfield temporarily shuts pork plant after 80-plus employees contract coronavirus
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in South Dakota will temporarily close for cleaning after more than 80 employees were confirmed to have the coronavirus, the company announced Thursday. Smithfield Foods plans to suspend operations in a large section of the Sioux Falls plant on Saturday,...
U.K.’s Boris Johnson out of intensive care as condition improves
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s condition has improved and he has been moved out of intensive care where he was treated for three days with COVID-19, his office said Thursday. In a statement, a spokesman at 10, Downing Street said Johnson “has been moved this evening from intensive...
Another stock rally loses steam, still headed for big week
NEW YORK — A rally on Wall Street Thursday is fading, the second time this week that a big early gain threatened to give out in the afternoon. The S&P 500 is up 1.1% with an hour to go in trading after earlier being up as much as 2.5%. The...
Trudeau: Canada’s first wave of covid-19 cases won’t end until summer
TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday Canadians will need to stay at home and practice physical distancing for months as the first wave of covid-19 cases in the country won’t end until the summer and Canada won’t return to normal until there is a vaccine — which...
No ice, big problem: Nothing mimics skating for NHL playersVideo
Taking ice away from NHL players has caused some to resort to desperate measures. New York Islanders captain Anders Lee bought a Peloton. Anaheim defenseman Josh Manson wants a pair of roller blades. League leading scorer Leon Draisaitl of Edmonton stickhandles around his dog. Whatever works. “You’re kind of going...
Point of order: Congress weighs how to govern from afar
WASHINGTON — “Congress” literally means to gather together. But the coronavirus pandemic and election year politics are forcing lawmakers to consider ways of governing from afar, some for the first time in U.S. history. The virus’ continuing spread is raising doubts among lawmakers and aides that the House will reconvene...
16.8M Americans thrown out of work as economic toll rises
NEW YORK — A staggering 16.8 million Americans have been thrown onto the unemployment rolls in just three weeks, underscoring the terrifying speed with which the coronavirus outbreak has brought world economies to their knees. Meanwhile, world leaders and health officials fervently warned that the hard-won gains against the scourge...
Virus-hit Wuhan cautiously revives amid thicket of controls
WUHAN, China — Released from their apartments after a 2 1/2-month quarantine, residents of the city where the coronavirus pandemic began are cautiously returning to shopping and strolling in the streets. But they say they still go out little and keep their children home while waiting for schools to reopen....
Pandemic has set the number of air travelers back decades
The number of Americans getting on airplanes has sunk to a level not seen in more than 60 years as people shelter in their homes to avoid catching or spreading the new coronavirus. The Transportation Security Administration screened 94,931 people on Wednesday, a drop of 96% from a year ago...
How do Broadway stars cope with silent theaters? They singVideo
The coronavirus silenced Broadway. It could not silence two of its rising stars. Samantha Pauly and Brittney Mack, who play two wives of Henry VIII in the musical “Six,” have turned their disappointment at having their musical on hold by doing what they do best — singing for an audience,...
U.S. economy unlikely to recover as rapidly as it collapsedVideo
BALTIMORE — President Donald Trump has been telling voters that the U.S. economy will leap back to life “like a rocket,” stronger than ever after its bout with the coronavirus. But there is a reason economics is called the “dismal science.” There are emerging signs that any recovery will fail...
Democrats stall Trump’s $250B business virus aid package
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Thursday stalled President Donald Trump’s request for $250 billion to supplement a “paycheck protection” program for businesses crippled by the coronavirus outbreak, demanding protections for minority-owned businesses and money for health care providers and state and local governments. They sidetracked a request by Majority Leader...
Hurry up and wait? Why relief to small businesses has lagged
NEW YORK — Speed is of the essence if a federal relief program for small businesses is going to be effective in combating the damage wrought by the coronavirus lockdowns. Yet, days into the program, many Main Street businesses are still waiting for the cash infusion necessary to stay alive....
