Associated Press stories, Page 2270
NASCAR, IndyCar closed to fans this weekendVideo
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — IndyCar and NASCAR will race this weekend without spectators, the latest sports series affected by concerns over the covid-19 pandemic. IndyCar pushed forward with Sunday’s season-opening race after the mayor of St. Petersburg said Thursday fans would not be permitted to attend. Only essential personnel can...
Supercomputer helps in tracking East Africa locust outbreak
KAMPALA, Uganda — A supercomputer is boosting efforts in East Africa to control a locust outbreak that raises what the U.N. food agency calls “an unprecedented threat” to the region’s food security. The computer, a donation from Britain, uses satellite data to track locust swarms and predict their next destination....
Awkward moment: Trump and Irish PM skip the handshake
WASHINGTON — President Trump and Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar found themselves in an awkward moment: How do you a greet a fellow world leader in the midst of a global viral pandemic? The two made the mutual decision upon Varadkar’s arrival Thursday for the Irish leader’s annual visit to...
Disneyland closing for rest of month amid coronavirus fears
Disneyland has announced that it’s shutting down its California theme parks Saturday over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. The company said in a statement Thursday that Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park will be closed through the end of the month though there have been no reported cases of...
Pentagon threatening retaliatory strike after attack in Iraq
WASHINGTON — U.S. military leaders Thursday threatened a retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Shia militia in Iraq, saying they know who launched the rockets in Iraq that killed and wounded U.S. and coalition troops and the attackers will be held accountable. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters at the Pentagon that...
Broadway shuts its doors over ongoing coronavirus concerns
NEW YORK — New York’s governor ordered all Broadway theaters to shut their doors in the face of ongoing coronavirus concerns, plunging into darkness one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions and causing turmoil in the run-up to the Tony Awards. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday banned gatherings of...
NCAA cancels men’s, women’s basketball tournaments
March Madness came to a screeching halt before a bracket could even be filled out. The NCAA canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments Thursday because of the spread of coronavirus, putting an abrupt end to the season less than a month before champions were to be crowned. The unprecedented...
MLB cancels spring games, delays openers
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is delaying the start of its season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak and suspended the rest of its spring training game schedule. Opening day had been scheduled for March 26. Statement from Major League Baseball: pic.twitter.com/0bWS5VTRPu— MLB (@MLB) March...
PGA Tour to carry on without spectators for the next month
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The PGA Tour plans to keep playing, just without anyone watching from outside the ropes because of the coronavirus outbreak. Commissioner Jay Monahan said Thursday that fans will not be allowed at the final three days of The Players Championship or three other tournaments —...
Travel bans, market chaos: Dizzying reaction to coronavirus spread around the world
ROME — Sweeping travel bans cascaded around the globe Thursday, walling off countries and even entire continents, keeping people inside their homes, and slowing the engines of commerce to stem the coronavirus pandemic. Markets collapsed with the growing realization that there would be no fast end to the uncertainty. After...
‘Quiet Place 2’ and ‘Fast & Furious’ delayed, as Hollywood braces for shutdown
NEW YORK — The entertainment industry, a business predicated on drawing crowds in theaters, cinemas and concert venues, is bracing for possible shutdown in the coming weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic, potentially putting on pause the normal hum of TV productions, the bustle of red-carpet movie premieres and the...
Starbucks stores may go drive-thru only or limit seating because of coronavirus
Some Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada may become drive-thru only while others could limit the number of people allowed inside, the company said, one day after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of coronavirus a pandemic. “As a last resort, we will close a store if we...
Stock market endures biggest drop since crash of 1987
NEW YORK — The stock market had its biggest drop since the Black Monday crash of 1987 Thursday as fears of economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis deepened. The sell-off, which sent the Dow industrials down 10%, came despite supportive steps from the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank....
March Madness: Conferences scrap tourneys; NCAAs in doubt
The most powerful conferences in college sports canceled their men’s basketball tournaments Thursday because of the coronavirus, putting in doubt this month’s NCAA Tournament — one of the biggest events on the American sports calendar. Within minutes of each other, the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern...
Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert test positive for coronavirus
Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz confirmed Thursday he tested positive for the coronavirus, saying he is personally dealing with the pandemic that has temporarily shut down the NBA and other major sports leagues. Later, his Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert — the first NBA player to test positive, which prompted...
Amid coronavirus precautions, Tokyo Olympic flame is lit in Greece
ATHENS, Greece — The flame for the Tokyo Olympics was lit Thursday at the birthplace of the ancient games in a pared-down ceremony because of the coronavirus. Standing in front of the ruined Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, a Greek actress playing the part of a pagan priestess used...
Trump’s ban on travel from Europe escalates pain for airlines
President Donald Trump’s decision Wednesday to impose a 30-day ban on most Europeans entering the United States is the latest calamity for airlines already reeling from falling bookings and cancelled reservations as people try to avoid contracting the coronavirus. The ban, to begin at midnight Friday, won’t apply to Americans...
Learn the ABCs of whole grains
We all know by now that whole grains are good for us and that we should be eating more of them. Anyone who has dipped a toe (or spoon) into the world of farro, brown rice and quinoa also knows how satisfying and versatile the arena of whole grains can...
NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade postponed due to coronavirus
NEW YORK — The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been postponed for the first time in its 258-year history because of coronavirus concerns, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday. The postponement of the parade on March 17 adds to the roster of events and holidays upended around...
Millennial Money: How to handle, and head off, a tax bill
Tax season can be a windfall or a wipeout for your budget. Which camp you fall into likely depends on whether you get a refund — or a tax bill — from the IRS. If you find that you owe taxes, you’re not alone. Over 23 million Americans owed the...
Panda and poke: Restaurant trademarks can stir legal fights
GILBERT, Ariz. — When picking a name for their Asian-Mexican fusion restaurant in suburban Phoenix, Paul and Nicole Fan settled on “Panda Libre,” hoping the mix of China’s iconic bear and the Spanish word for “free” would signal to customers the type of cuisine it offered. That decision could cost...
NBA suspends season until further notice, over coronavirus
MIAMI — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice” after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league’s owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas. Now there will be no games...
Trump suspends travel from Europe to U.S. for 30 daysVideo
WASHINGTON — Taking drastic action Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced he is cutting off travel from Europe to the U.S. and moving to ease the economic cost of a viral pandemic that is roiling global financial markets and disrupting the daily lives of Americans. Trump made the announcement that he...
Agency says working conditions improve in Thai seafood sector
BANGKOK — A report issued Tuesday by the U.N.’s International Labor Organization credits Thailand with improving working conditions in the fishing and seafood processing industry, but says that serious abuses including forced labor remain. The report is a follow-up to one published in 2018, and compares the workers situations from...
Lawyer: Chelsea Manning attempts suicide in Virginia jail
WASHINGTON — A lawyer for Chelsea Manning said Wednesday that the former intelligence analyst tried to take her own life Wednesday, but was transported to a hospital where she is recovering. Manning has been in jail since May 2019 for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. She...
