Associated Press stories, Page 2224
Judge: Tennessee can’t prevent abortions during coronavirus
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A federal judge Friday night ruled that Tennessee has to continue allowing abortions amid a temporary ban on nonessential medical procedures that’s aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman said the defendants didn’t show that any appreciable amount of personal protective equipment,...
Racial toll of virus grows even starker as more data emerges
As a clearer picture emerges of COVID-19’s decidedly deadly toll on black Americans, leaders are demanding a reckoning of the systemic policies they say have made many African Americans far more vulnerable to the virus, including inequity in access to health care and economic opportunity. A growing chorus of medical...
Sabrina Ionescu goes No. 1 in WNBA Draft; Hopewell’s Walker-Kimbrough traded againVideo
NEW YORK — Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, as expected. When she will play for the New York Liberty is unclear. With sports on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was a draft Friday night like no other with players in...
Judge extends deadline for zookeeper ‘Joe Exotic’ to challenge convictions
OKLAHOMA CITY — A former Oklahoma zookeeper who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and federal wildlife violations has been granted an extra month to argue why his lawsuit challenging the convictions shouldn’t be dismissed. Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as “Joe Exotic,” filed a federal...
Trump consults faith leaders on phased-in reopening
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump held a call with faith leaders on Friday that included discussion about a phased-in return to broader in-person worship after weeks of religious services largely shifting online in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump’s call with faith leaders came one day after the White...
Bears release veteran tight end Trey Burton, re-sign Pitt product HoltzVideo
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears released veteran tight end Trey Burton after his injury-riddled season on Friday. Burton dealt with a groin injury all last season and went on injured reserve in November after hurting his calf in a win over Detroit. He had 14 receptions for 84...
NBA players to receive 25% less in paychecks starting May 15Video
NBA players will see 25% of their paychecks taken out starting May 15, the first direct hit to their salaries because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was finalized Friday in a board of governors meeting and was done in concert with the National Basketball Players Association. Players will be...
Column: When nightmare is over, a chance for sports to resetVideo
While sports is on hold during the coronavirus pandemic, there are surely lessons to be learned. When normality does return to our stadiums and arenas, maybe we can put them to use. Certainly, this unprecedented shutdown has changed life — and sports — in ways we never expected. But maybe,...
DeAndre Hopkins not surprised by trade, ready to help CardinalsVideo
Most of the NFL world was stunned when the Arizona Cardinals pulled off a trade last month to land elite receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans for running back David Johnson. One of the few people unfazed by the deal? Hopkins. “No, I wasn’t surprised at all,” the three-time...
Sheriff: Off-duty officer shot 14-year-old outside Louisiana home
METAIRIE, La. — An off-duty Louisiana police officer shot and wounded a 14-year-old boy after he found several people in his front yard early Friday morning, authorities said. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said the boy was hospitalized in critical condition Friday afternoon, news outlets reported. Lopinto said the officer...
Georgia high school students expelled after posting racist video
CARROLLTON, Ga. — Two high school students in Georgia have been expelled after they posted a racist video on a social media site. Carrollton City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Albertus, in a statement Friday, said the students “behavior was unacceptable and is not representative of the district’s respect for all...
Florida governor gives some beaches green light to reopen
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s governor on Friday gave the green light for some beaches and parks to reopen if it can be done safely, and north Florida beaches became among the first to allow people to return since closures because of the coronavirus. Mayor Lenny Curry said Duval County beaches...
Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to serve out prison sentence at home
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic. Cohen is currently locked up at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges,...
Lockdown weighs heavily on Orthodox Christians during Easter
ATHENS, Greece — For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection and mourning followed by joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition. But this year, Easter — by far the most significant religious holiday for the world’s roughly 300 million Orthodox — has essentially been...
France finds more than 1,000 coronavirus cases on aircraft carrier
PARIS — The French navy is investigating how the coronavirus infected more than 1,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, amid growing pressure on government leaders to explain how it could have happened. The ship, France’s biggest carrier and the flagship of its navy, is undergoing a lengthy...
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice orders virus testing in nursing homes across state
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Friday ordered that residents and staffers of all nursing homes in the state immediately be tested for the coronavirus. The Republican governor said his executive order comes after some testing discrepancies when outbreaks have cropped up in nursing homes. The state...
NASA, SpaceX tab May 27 for first astronaut launch in US since 2011
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA and SpaceX have picked May 27 for resuming astronaut launches from the U.S. after nine years of complete Russian dependence. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the launch date Friday. Astronauts haven’t launched into orbit from the U.S. since NASA’s last space shuttle flight in 2011....
Fort Bragg soldiers make masks to fight coronavirus pandemic
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — It’s become a competition for the soldiers of 647th Quartermaster Company to see who can crank out the most face masks during a shift to protect against the coronavirus. The parachute rigging unit is essential to Airborne operations at Fort Bragg. On any given day, their...
Joe Burrow to the rescue? Lowly Bengals look for next leaderVideo
CINCINNATI — In 2003, everything was in place for the Bengals to take a quarterback with the first overall draft pick. Cincinnati was coming off a 2-14 season. Attendance was down. Jon Kitna was in his 30s. A new coach — Marvin Lewis — wanted a franchise quarterback. A Heisman...
GM Eric DeCosta seeks to make Ravens ‘undefendable’ via NFL DraftVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens compiled a franchise-best 14-2 record last season and stormed into the playoffs with a 12-game winning streak, the most prolific rushing offense in NFL history and a second-year quarterback who went on to win MVP. Baltimore’s one-and-done postseason proved there still was plenty of...
Florida man encases self in concrete at governor’s mansion
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida man encased himself in concrete Friday outside the Governor’s Mansion in the state capital apparently to protest prison conditions related to the coronavirus. Tallahassee police spokesman Kevin Bradshaw said the man, identified as 28-year-old Jordan Mazurek, put PVC pipes horizontally into two 55-gallon plastic drums...
Comic-Con canceled over coronavirus, plans 2021 return
LOS ANGELES — This year’s San Diego Comic-Con has been canceled due to coronavirus-related restrictions around large gatherings. Organizers say they are planning for the festival to return in July 2021. The annual confab was scheduled to take place July 23-26 in and around the San Diego Convention Center. California...
‘Heartbreaking’ report shows virus ravaging N.Y. nursing homes
ALBANY, N.Y. — The despair wrought on nursing homes by the coronavirus was laid bare Friday in a state survey identifying numerous New York facilities where multiple patients died over the past few weeks. Nineteen of the state’s nursing homes reported 20 or more deaths linked to the pandemic, the...
Authorities: Man fatally shoots himself, 2 others in Pa. home
NEW FREEDOM — A man fatally shot an older man and a woman inside a southern Pennsylvania home and then turned the gun on himself, authorities said. Police found the three bodies around 5:30 p.m. Thursday when they responded to a New Freedom home after someone reported a possible fire...
Pitbull launches new song to inspire during the pandemicVideo
Pitbull is looking to uplift his fans around the world with a new dance anthem. The singer has teamed up with the Saban Music Group to release “I Believe That We Will Win” in the hope of turning the word fear into a positive. “Fear is either you can forget...
