Associated Press stories, Page 2177
Karl-Anthony Towns says mother hospitalized, in coma with covid-19Video
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns says his mother is hospitalized and in a medically induced coma after contracting the coronavirus. Towns talked about the condition of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, early Wednesday on his Instagram page and urged his followers to take covid-19 seriously and practice social distancing....
Analysis: Tom Brady over Jameis Winston easy decision for BuccaneersVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — The decision to pursue Tom Brady in free agency was a no-brainer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s not to suggest a lot of thinking and planning didn’t go into it. In snaring the six-time Super Bowl winner, who signed a two-year, $50 million contract that’s fully...
Family: U.S. believes ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson has died in Iranian custody
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government has concluded that retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished more than a decade ago, has died while in the custody of Iran, his family said Wednesday. The family said in a statement posted on Twitter that it had no information about how or when...
Chef Floyd Cardoz dies at 59 of covid-19 complications
NEW YORK — Chef Floyd Cardoz, who competed on “Top Chef,” won “Top Chef Masters” and operated successful restaurants in both India and New York, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus, his company said in a statement. He was 59. Cardoz had traveled from Mumbai to New York through...
MLB 7-inning doubleheaders? Baseball open to considering new ideasVideo
TORONTO — If Major League Baseball needs to squeeze more games into a condensed season without exhausting pitching staffs, perhaps this idea could get tossed into play: seven-inning doubleheaders. “Maybe that’s something we have to consider,” Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said on a conference call Wednesday. Opening...
Olympic delay leaves athletes uncertain about sponsorshipsVideo
Aside from figuring out how to maintain their health and fitness for an additional year, athletes such as Ryan Crouser suddenly faced another concern when the Olympics were postponed until 2021. They also have to make the money stretch that far. Crouser still hopes to defend his shot put gold...
Tiz the Law set as favorite for Saturday’s Florida DerbyVideo
MIAMI — The Florida Derby is set to have a full field and empty stands. A field of 12 has been entered for Saturday’s Florida Derby, typically one of the biggest Kentucky Derby prep races and the crown jewel of the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla....
Pennsylvania lawmakers vote to delay primary until June 2 over coronavirus
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers voted Wednesday to delay the state’s primary election by five weeks to June 2, potentially past the spike of the state’s spreading coronavirus cases. The measure passed both chambers of the Republican-controlled state Legislature on Wednesday and Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said he will sign...
Getting home: Hockey players travel scrambled by coronavirusVideo
Ryan Stanton would pull off the highway every few hours to give his pregnant wife, Kirsten, a chance to stretch her legs. That’s usually when Kirsten and her mother-in-law would switch places to tend to the Stantons’ 18-month-old daughter in the backseat of the pickup truck during a 27-hour drive...
AP Player of the Year Obi Toppin declares for NBA DraftVideo
Dayton’s Obi Toppin is headed to the NBA after leading the Flyers to a 29-2 record and No. 3 ranking as a redshirt sophomore. Toppin tweeted his decision Wednesday, a day after he was honored as the Associated Press’ men’s college basketball player of the year. The Flyers’ Anthony Grant...
NHL doctor warns of patchwork protocols across 31 marketsVideo
The NHL’s chief medical officer said Wednesday he expects the coronavirus pandemic to get worse before it gets better in North America and differences across 31 markets are likely to affect when players might get back on the ice. Dr. Winne Meeuwisse said it is difficult to predict when cases...
MLB ballparks sit empty as Opening Day remains on holdVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — There will be no hot dogs on the grill, no beer on tap, no vendors in the stands selling peanuts and Cracker Jacks. The shiny new stadium deep in the heart of Texas will still be waiting for its first Rangers game. Instead of warming up for...
Roger Goodell orders all NFL team facilities closed for 2 weeksVideo
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has instructed the 32 teams to close their facilities to all but a select few employees by 6 p.m. Wednesday. In a memo to the teams, Goodell said the restrictions meant as a safeguard against the new coronavirus will be in force until at least April...
US Justice Department: Don’t treat transgender athletes as girlsVideo
HARTFORD, Conn. — The U.S. Justice Department is getting involved in a federal civil rights lawsuit that seeks to block transgender athletes in Connecticut from competing as girls in interscholastic sports. Attorney General William Barr signed what is known as a statement of interest Tuesday, arguing against the policy of...
All England Club to decide Wimbledon’s fate next weekVideo
The All England Club said it still is evaluating whether to postpone or cancel Wimbledon because of the coronavirus pandemic and plans to make a decision next week when the club’s main board is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting. Main-draw play at Wimbledon is scheduled to start June 29,...
Recording registry adds ‘Wichita Lineman,’ songs from ‘Mister Rogers’Video
Dr. Dre’s classic debut rap album “The Chronic,” Selena’s sophomore release “Ven Conmigo” and the worldwide disco hit “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People are among 25 recordings being inducted to the National Recording Registry. The Library of Congress announced Wednesday that Tina Turner’s “Private Dancer,” Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” —...
Canada imposes mandatory self-isolation for those returning
TORONTO — Canada announced Wednesday it is imposing mandatory self-isolation for those returning to Canada under the Quarantine Act. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said it will begin at midnight Wednesday and the requirement will be for 14 days. “It will be a legal obligation for people entering Canada from...
Elton John to host TV, radio concert as coronavirus antidote
Elton John is hosting a “living room” concert aimed at bolstering American spirits during the coronavirus crisis and saluting those countering it, iHeartMedia and Fox said Wednesday. Alicia Keys, Billie Eilish, Mariah Carey, the Backstreet Boys, Tim McGraw and Billie Joe Armstrong are scheduled to take part in the event...
Game Zero: Spread of coronavirus linked to Champions League match
ROME — It was the biggest soccer game in Atalanta’s history and a third of Bergamo’s population made the short trip to Milan’s famed San Siro Stadium. Nearly 2,500 fans of visiting Spanish club Valencia also traveled to that Champions League match. More than a month later, experts are pointing...
Citing coronavirus, Putin delays vote that would extend his rule
MOSCOW — Citing the coronavirus, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday postponed a nationwide vote on proposed constitutional amendments that include a change potentially allowing him to stay in office until 2036. Putin didn’t set a new date for the plebiscite originally scheduled for April 22, saying that it would...
Primary purgatory with no 12th Democratic debate on horizon
ATLANTA — There is no 12th Democratic presidential debate on the horizon now that the nominating process is in a holding pattern because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the Democratic National Committee’s lead debate organizers, Xochitl Hinojosa, said the party has not set a date or secured a television...
Aetna waives patient payments for coronavirus hospital stays
One of the nation’s biggest health insures is waiving patient payments for hospital stays tied to the coronavirus. CVS Health’s insurer Aetna said Wednesday that many of its customers will not have to make co-payments or other forms of cost sharing if they wind up admitted to a hospital in...
Rural America watches pandemic erupt in cities as fear growsVideo
DUFUR, Ore. — The social distancing rules repeated like a mantra in America’s urban centers, where the coronavirus is spreading exponentially, might seem silly in wide-open places where neighbors live far from each other and “working from home” means another day spent branding calves or driving a tractor alone through...
Ford recalls 268K cars in North America to fix door latchesVideo
DETROIT — Ford is recalling more than 268,000 cars in North America to fix doors that could open unexpectedly or may not close. The recall covers the 2014 through 2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, and the 2014 and 2015 Ford Fiesta. Cars in Mexico, U.S. territories and 16 states...
Pennsylvania saw 400K jobless claims, labor leader saysVideo
HARRISBURG — More than 400,000 Pennsylvanians filed for unemployment compensation benefits last week amid a tidal wave of coronavirus-related business shutdowns, eclipsing the high-point during the recession a decade ago, the state’s top organized labor leader said Wednesday. Rick Bloomingdale, president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the AFL-CIO, said Gov....
