Associated Press stories, Page 2463

PORTLAND, Maine — The tradition of releasing balloons at weddings, birthdays and memorials may soon get deflated by lawmakers in more than half a dozen states. Critics say the helium-filled balloons pollute the environment, and threaten birds and other wildlife when they fall to earth. “People don’t really realize that...

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Chase Elliott won the Cup Series race Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, giving Chevrolet its first victory of the season. Elliott took the lead shortly after a restart with four laps to go and worked with three other Chevy drivers to hold off the rest of the field....

WASHINGTON — The U.S. has little interest in joining other countries in a multi-nation effort to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said Sunday. The United States is not trying to exclude other nations from nuclear talks with Pyongyang, John Bolton...

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican foreign policy sage known for leading efforts to help the former Soviet states dismantle and secure much of their nuclear arsenal, but whose reputation for working with Democrats cost him his final campaign, died Sunday. He was 87. Lugar died at...

NEW YORK — The universe belongs to Marvel. “Avengers: Endgame” shattered the record for biggest opening weekend with an estimated $350 million in ticket sales domestically and $1.2 billion globally, reaching a new pinnacle in the blockbuster era that the comic-book studio has come to dominate. The “Avengers” finale far...

DETROIT — When Fiat Chrysler began considering where to build its next assembly plant, the automaker didn’t have to look far to find land. A short walk from its Jefferson North plant on Detroit’s east side is 200 acres (80 hectares) of land the company is eyeing as part of...

LAS VEGAS — At a farm outside Las Vegas, a herd of pigs feasts on lobster, sausage links and beef. In town, people at a community center sit for a dinner that may include sliders and truffle mac and cheese. The two meals have something in common: Both came from...

POWAY, Calif. — The rabbi who led a service on the last day of Passover suffered a gunshot wound to his hands and two others endured shrapnel wounds as political, civic and religious leaders across the country struggled to make sense of another fatal attack on a house of worship...

LOS ANGELES — Three starts into his delayed season and Clayton Kershaw already appears back in his usual form. Kershaw earned his first win, allowing one run over seven innings to outpitch Joe Musgrove and help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 on Saturday night. Chris Taylor...

KWA-THEMA, South Africa — Calls for more jobs for South Africa’s black majority and respect for the rights of the LGBTI community marked Freedom Day celebrations Saturday commemorating the 25th anniversary of the end of apartheid. Singing and dancing punctuated one gathering of about 3,500 on the outskirts of Johannesburg....

INDIANAPOLIS — Oliver North announced Saturday he would not serve a second term as National Rifle Association president, making it clear he had been forced out by the gun lobby’s leadership after his failed attempt to remove the NRA’s longtime CEO in a burgeoning divide over the group’s finances and...

HUGO, Okla. — The mother of three children wounded when Oklahoma police fired at a man in a pickup who was suspected of robbing a restaurant says two of her kids suffered head wounds and the third was shot in the face. “My 4-year-old daughter was shot in the head,...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Let’s talk quarterbacks. As in potential backup quarterbacks in the NFL, and maybe starters down the road. Eleven quarterbacks were chosen in the NFL Draft. The trio that went in the opening round — No. 1 overall Kyler Murray to Arizona, No. 16 Daniel Jones to the...

PHILADELPHIA — Authorities say they broke up a cockfighting ring when they raided a Philadelphia home, making nearly two dozen arrests. Roughly 40 roosters and chickens were found in the home Friday night, including some that were dead. Authorities say officers chased down several suspects who tried to flee the...

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Police in Michigan are appealing to people to surrender their instant riches after a box with $30,000 fell off the back of a truck. Authorities in Grand Haven say drivers stopped Thursday to pick up cash for themselves. Only $2,500 was immediately recovered and returned to...

WASHINGTON — Since George Washington’s time, presidents have used executive privilege to resist congressional inquiries in the name of protecting the confidentiality of their decision-making. President Donald Trump threatened this past week to broadly assert executive privilege to block a number of current and former aides from testifying, including some...

POWAY, Calif. — A gunman armed with a semiautomatic rifle walked into a suburban San Diego County synagogue and opened fire on the congregation Saturday, killing one person and wounding three in an attack that authorities believe was motivated by hate. A 19-year-old white male was arrested in connection with...

INDIANAPOLIS — Retired Lt. Col. Oliver North said Saturday that he will not serve a second term as the president of the National Rifle Association amid inner turmoil in the gun-rights group. In a statement read to members of the group Saturday, North said he believes a committee should be...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — To escape the poverty of South Texas migrant camps, Homer Garza joined the U.S. Army. Months later he and his company found themselves surrounded in South Korea by an invading North Korean force. Garza’s story is one of many shared in the PBS documentary “KOREA: The Never-Ending...

LOS ANGELES — Cody Bellinger’s one mighty swing of the bat was loaded with historical significance. Bellinger hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Dodgers set a major league record with homers in 33 consecutive home games in a 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday...

LAS VEGAS — A half-dozen Democratic presidential candidates will descend on Las Vegas on Saturday to pitch themselves to one of America’s largest unions as champions of workers and kitchen-table issues. The daylong forum is organized by the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund and the Service Employees International...

INDIANAPOLIS — The National Rifle Association was plunged into deeper internal turmoil Friday amid an effort by opponents of top executive Wayne LaPierre to drive out the man who has long been the public face of the gun-rights group. LaPierre sent a letter to board members Thursday outlining that the...