Associated Press stories, Page 2209
Serb leader praises Russian arms 21 years after NATO bombing
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s president thanked Russia on Saturday for making the country’s military “10 times” stronger than when it was bombed by NATO in 1999. Aleksandar Vucic spoke Saturday while visiting an air defense unit near Belgrade that has recently been equipped with the Russian Pantsir-S1 system, which is...
As warmer weather beckons, NYPD to enforce social distancing
NEW YORK — As warmer weather tempted New Yorkers to come out of quarantine, police dispatched 1,000 officers this weekend to enforce social distancing and a ban on congregating in public spaces. Officers set out on foot, bicycles and cars to break up crowds and remind those enjoying the weather...
In US, a virus-era Ramadan presents obstacles, opportunities
For Jamilah Shakir, the first week of Ramadan has been an adjustment. She typically spends every night of the month at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam or another mosque nearby. Now Ramadan has come, and mosques are closed to worshippers to prevent spread of the coronavirus. So Shakir and her...
New Mexico takes more drastic measures against virus hotspot
SANTA FE, N.M. — A modern-day trading post on the southern outskirts of the Navajo Nation was on lockdown over the weekend under the watch of National Guard troops and state police to discourage nonessential travel and commerce as local coronavirus infections soar. Invoking provisions of the state Riot Control...
Farmers markets scaling down with eye on safety due to virus
DETROIT — For a dozen years, Johnny Gyergyou has sold meat, poultry and eggs from his Berlin Township livestock farm at Eastern Market in Detroit. Lately, he’s been staying home as fear of the COVID-19 virus has kept thousands of shoppers away from the popular venue northeast of downtown. “The...
‘I died and came back’: 12-year-old recovers from virus
COVINGTON, La. — As her desperately sick daughter was being airlifted to a hospital, Jennifer Daly was thinking about all the parts of life that still lay ahead for her 12-year-old and whether she’d ever experience them: Would she get to fall in love? Would she get the chance to...
1 Houston police officer killed, 1 injured in copter crash
HOUSTON — A Houston police helicopter crashed early Saturday, killing one of the two officers on board and critically injuring the other, officials said. A pilot and tactical flight officer were aboard a police helicopter when it crashed at an apartment complex around 2 a.m. They were flown to a...
Virgin Galactic completes first glide flight in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Virgin Galactic’s spaceship VSS Unity landed in the New Mexico desert on Friday, marking its first glide flight from Spaceport America as the company moves toward commercial operations. The company announced the flight on social media and shared photos of the craft on the runway and members...
NFL rookies, teams face similar problems as in 2011 lockoutVideo
Joe Burrow should be getting ready to report to rookie minicamp this month, then joining the veterans on the Cincinnati Bengals for the rest of the offseason program. But like everyone else around the NFL, Burrow is left on his own to prepare for the season with facilities shut down...
White House blocking Fauci testimony, panel spokesman says
WASHINGTON — A spokesman for a key House panel said Friday that the White House has blocked Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying next week at a hearing on the coronavirus outbreak. House Appropriations Committee spokesman Evan Hollander said the panel sought Fauci — the highly respected director of the National...
Anheuser-Busch wins latest round of beer wars against Molson
MADISON, Wis. — A federal appeals court on Friday struck down a lower court’s ruling in favor of brewing giant Molson Coors, determining that Anheuser-Busch can advertise and use packaging implying that its rival beers contain corn syrup. The order from a three-judge panel on the 7th U.S. Court of...
Middle finger didn’t warrant traffic stop, says North Carolina court
RALEIGH, N.C. — A state trooper’s decision to stop a driver who flashed an obscene hand gesture wasn’t justified, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Friday, overturning lower court decisions. The justices ruled unanimously that the evidence showed Trooper Paul Stevens lacked reasonable suspicion to pull over Shawn Patrick Ellis...
Remdesivir given go-ahead by FDA for emergency use against coronavirus
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators on Friday allowed emergency use of an experimental drug that appears to help some coronavirus patients recover faster. It is the first drug shown to help fight COVID-19, which has killed more than 230,000 people worldwide. The FDA said in a statement that Gilead Science’s intravenous...
Stocks slide as Amazon, other companies detail coronavirus fallout
Stocks closed broadly lower on Wall Street on Friday after Amazon and other big companies reported disappointing results, the latest evidence of how the coronavirus pandemic is hobbling the economy and hurting corporate earnings. A day after closing out its best month since 1987, the S&P 500 fell 2.8%. The...
Onus on NASCAR as it preps to become 1st major U.S. sport to restart during pandemicVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR is preparing to be the first major U.S. sport to restart its season during the coronavirus pandemic — a welcomed return to racing and one that will be watched closely by the public and other professional leagues for missteps. More than 700 people — no fans...
Nationals manager Martinez determined to celebrate ’19 World Series in front of fansVideo
WASHINGTON — No one knows for sure how, when and where — or, truly, even if — MLB will play games in 2020. Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez feels certain of this much: His team will wait to properly mark its World Series championship with spectators in the seats. “I’m...
Trump says Michigan governor should ‘give a little’ to restart economy
LANSING, Mich. — President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer should “give a little” and “put out the fire” a day after hundreds of conservative demonstrators, some with assault weapons, protested at the state Capitol against stay-at-home restrictions she imposed to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The Governor...
Sources: MLB, umpires reach pay deal during coronavirus pandemic
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball and its umpires have reached a deal to cover a 2020 pay structure during the coronavirus pandemic, including a 50% cut in May and nothing more this year if no games are played. The sides struck an agreement late Thursday night, two people told...
Pro tennis mini-tournament in Germany the 1st of several in the worksVideo
DUSSELDORF, Germany — There were no spectators, no line judges, no ballkids and no post-match handshake at the net as an exhibition tennis event got underway in Germany on Friday with professional players, a rare instance of live, televised sports during the coronavirus pandemic. Three men were involved in each...
Man goes to clear out dead mom’s New York home, finds body in freezer
NEW YORK — A man found a decomposed body in his dead mother’s freezer as he was clearing out her Manhattan apartment, police said. He found the body this week in a chest freezer that had been sealed with duct tape, the Daily News reported. Investigators said the body appeared...
Triple Crown racing season sure bet to be unlike any otherVideo
This promises to be a Triple Crown season like no other. Instead of kicking off the chase this weekend with the Kentucky Derby, the storied race may end up capping the trio of races on Labor Day weekend. Instead of 3-year-old colts saving the longest race for last, maybe they...
Green Bay Packers sign defensive lineman Treyvon Hester
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have signed defensive lineman Treyvon Hester, who is set to play for his fourth NFL team in as many seasons. Hester, 27, played 15 games for the Washington Redskins last year. The 2017 seventh-round draft pick from Toledo spent his rookie year...
Budget fallout from virus hitting Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
The economic hurt from measures to contain the coronavirus unfolded more Friday, as Pennsylvania state government’s tax collections collapsed in April and, in Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney proposed tax increases and layoffs. The state Revenue Department reported collecting $2.2 billion in April, half of what it had originally expected in...
House panel wants Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify in antitrust probe
WASHINGTON — House lawmakers investigating the market dominance of Big Tech are asking Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify to address possible misleading statements by the company on its competition practices. In a letter to Bezos on Friday, leaders of the House Judiciary Committee from both parties are holding out...
WHO chief reiterates coronavirus had natural origin
GENEVA — The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization reiterated that the group believes the novel coronavirus is “natural in origin.” Dr. Michael Ryan responded Friday to comments by President Donald Trump, who said he has seen information that the virus may have emerged from a virology institute...
