Associated Press stories, Page 225
The 151st Kentucky Derby could be a mudder’s delight with rain in the forecastVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Derby is tough to win, with a huge field of stampeding horses and 150,000 screaming fans in the stands. Toss in a rainy forecast that could turn the Churchill Downs dirt strip into something resembling peanut butter, and it gets trickier. A field of 19...
Consultant says security report into arson at Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro’s home won’t be made public
HARRISBURG — A consultant paid to review security at the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro after it was firebombed by a late-night intruder said Friday that his team’s findings will not be made public. Retired state police Col. Jeffrey Miller said in a statement that the “sensitive nature”...
Gregg Popovich, the NBA’s all-time wins leader, retires after 29 seasons as coach in San Antonio
Gregg Popovich stepped down as coach of the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, ending a three-decade run that saw him lead the team to five NBA championships, become the league’s all-time wins leader and earn induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. “While my love and passion for the game...
On ‘Andor,’ minor ‘Star Wars’ villains play major roles
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — In the galaxy of “Andor,” “Star Wars” super villains are relegated to the shadows. The Disney+ series is more interested in what might be called supervisor villains: the bureaucrats, planners, schemers and petty functionaries who make tyranny possible. Instead of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, we...
CDC reports 216 child deaths this flu season, the most in 15 years
NEW YORK — More U.S. children have died this flu season than at any time since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago, according to a federal report released Friday. The 216 pediatric deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eclipse the 207 reported last year. It’s...
Ruth Buzzi, comedy sketch player on groundbreaking series ‘Laugh-In,’ dies at 88
LOS ANGELES — Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, has died at age 88. Buzzi died Thursday at her home in Texas, says...
Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting. The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further...
Microsoft hikes Xbox prices worldwide as gaming industry faces tariff uncertainty
NEW YORK — As new tariffs continue to strain global supply chains, some gamers are already feeling price hikes. Microsoft raised recommended retailer pricing for its Xbox consoles and controllers around the world this week. Its Xbox Series S, for example, now starts at $379.99 in the U.S. — up...
7.4 magnitude quake strikes off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina, no damage reported
SANTIAGO, Chile — A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said. No damage or casualties have been initially reported. Chilean authorities issued an evacuation alert for the entire coastal section of the Strait of Magellan, in the...
A 4th person dies from Minneapolis mass shooting as suspect is charged with murder
MINNEAPOLIS — A fourth person has died as a result of a mass shooting in Minneapolis earlier this week in which investigators believe a fifth person was killed in retaliation hours later, police said Friday. The 28-year-old man had been hospitalized in grave condition since the shootings late Tuesday, and...
Never argue: 115-year-old British woman, now the world’s oldest, gives her recipe to long life
LONDON — For Ethel Caterham, the trick to a long life — and in her case, it really has been — is not to argue. Caterham, who is 115, became the world’s oldest living person, according to the Gerontology Research Group, after Sister Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian nun and teacher,...
Prince Harry loses appeal to restore his U.K. government-funded security detail
LONDON — Prince Harry lost his appeal Friday challenging the U.K. government’s decision to strip him of his publicly funded security after he stepped away from royal family duties and moved to the U.S. The Court of Appeal ruled unanimously that a committee hadn’t treated Harry unfairly when it decided...
Trump re-ups his threat to strip Harvard University’s tax-exempt status
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday re-upped his threat to strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status, escalating a showdown with the first major college that has defied the administration’s efforts to crack down on campus activism. “We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status,” Trump...
How to catch the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, debris of Halley’s comet
Halley’s comet swings near Earth every 75 years. But debris left by the comet leads to two major meteor showers every year including the Eta Aquarids. When this meteor shower lights up the night sky, “you’ll know that Earth is crossing the path of the most famous comet,” said Shauna...
Employers added a surprising 177K jobs as job market shows resilience
WASHINGTON — American employers added a better-than-expected 177,000 jobs in April as the job market showed resilience in the face of President Donald Trump’s trade wars. Hiring was down slightly from a revised 185,000 in March and came in above economists’ expectations for a modest 135,000. The unemployment rate remained...
Drones strike ship carrying aid to Gaza, organizers say
TEL AVIV, Israel — Drones attacked a vessel carrying aid to Gaza while it was in international waters off Malta on Friday, the group organizing the shipment said. A fire broke out but was brought under control, according to authorities. A nearby tugboat responded to a distress call from the...
White House will unveil Trump’s 2026 budget, his 1st since returning to power
WASHINGTON — The White House is planning on Friday to unveil President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget, a sweeping framework that is expected to propose steep reductions, if not a wholesale zeroing out, of various federal programs as part of his administration’s priorities. Budgets do not become law but serve as...
How long was the longest conclave? Facts about the secret voting to elect a pope
VATICAN CITY — “Conclave” the film may have introduced moviegoers to the spectacular ritual and drama of a modern conclave, but the periodic voting to elect a new pope has been going on for centuries and created a whole genre of historical trivia. Here are some facts about conclaves past,...
Vatican firefighters install a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel for the papal election
VATICAN CITY — Preparations for the conclave to find a new pope accelerated Friday with the installation of the chimney out of the Sistine Chapel that will signal the election of a successor to Pope Francis. Vatican firefighters were seen on the roof of the Sistine Chapel installing the chimney,...
When did Disney villains stop being so villainous? New show suggests they may just be misunderstood
ORLANDO, Fla. — Cruella de Vil wanted to turn Dalmatian puppies into fur coats, Captain Hook tried to bomb Peter Pan and Maleficent issued a curse of early death for Aurora. But wait, maybe these Disney villains were just misunderstood? That’s the premise of a new musical show at Walt...
Soviet-era spacecraft is set to plunge to Earth a half-century after its failed launch to Venus
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth, possibly within the first two weeks of May. It’s too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of...
Brunson scores 40, Knicks top Pistons 116-113 in Game 6, advance to 2nd-round series with CelticsVideo
DETROIT — Jalen Brunson scored 40 points, Mikal Bridges had 25 points and OG Anunoby added 22 to lead the New York Knicks to a 116-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night and into the second round of the NBA playoffs. The third-seeded Knicks will face second-seeded Boston,...
Defense Department designates 2nd military zone on U.S. border, extending into Texas
EL PASO, Texas — The Defense Department said Thursday that it has designated a second stretch on the U.S. border with Mexico as a military zone to enforce immigration laws. The newest area is in Texas and is attached to the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso. Like the...
Vegas moves on with 3-2 win in series clincher, as Wild go 1-and-done yet againVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jack Eichel scored his first goal of the series to give the Vegas the lead late in the second period, and Adin Hill held it up on a 29-save night to spur the Golden Knights onto the second round with a 3-2 victory in Game 6...
Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter known for ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ dies in a fire
Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl,” died in a house fire Thursday. She was 66. Her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an email Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear...
