Associated Press stories, Page 2478
Pregnant Chicago woman slain, baby cut from her wombVideo
CHICAGO — A pregnant woman who had gone to a Chicago home in response to a Facebook offer of free baby clothes was strangled and her baby cut from her womb, police and family members said. The newborn was in grave condition and not expected to survive, and three people...
Fire officials determine PG&E equipment sparked deadly wildfire
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As California fire investigators officially concluded that the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century was caused by Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. power lines, lawmakers expressed deep skepticism about whether the utility had made the dramatic changes needed to prevent another deadly blaze. The company’s new chief...
Rolling Stones North American tour finally starts in Chicago
NEW YORK — The Rolling Stones are ready to get back on the road after postponing their North American tour because Mick Jagger needed medical treatment. The rockers announced Thursday the No Filter tour will kick off in Chicago with two shows on June 21 and 25. We are delighted...
Prince Harry accepts apology for intrusive images
LONDON — Prince Harry settled privacy and data protection claims Thursday against a news agency that hovered over his home in a helicopter and took photos directly into his living room and bedroom. Harry accepted substantial damages and an apology from Splash News and Picture Agency. The figure was not...
Firefighter killed, 3 injured in Wisconsin shooting
APPLETON, Wis. — A firefighter responding to a medical emergency has been killed in a shooting in Wisconsin that left three others injured, officials said. The shooting happened after police and firefighters responded to a medical emergency around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in downtown Appleton, fire and police officials said. Appleton...
Man shot dead over allegation of smuggling cows in Kashmir
SRINAGAR, India — A Muslim man was shot and killed and another injured by Hindu vigilantes on Thursday in Indian-controlled Kashmir over allegations of smuggling cows. A group of Hindu men intercepted the two Muslims in the outskirts of southeastern Bhaderwah town before dawn and shot at them after an...
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio seeking Democratic nod for president
NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he is running for president. The Democrat announced his bid with a video released by his campaign early Thursday morning. In announcing his candidacy, de Blasio is seeking to claim a role on the national stage that has eluded...
Sharks escape Blues in OT to grab 2-1 series edge
ST. LOUIS — Timo Meier handed a big win to Erik Karlsson and the San Jose Sharks. Karlsson scored 5:23 into overtime after the officials missed a hand pass by Meier, and the Sharks rallied to beat the St. Louis Blues 5-4 on Wednesday night to take a 2-1 lead...
Bucks use late flourish to take Game 1 from Raptors
MILWAUKEE — Brook Lopez scored 13 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24 and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied in the final minutes to beat the Toronto Raptors, 108-100, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night. Lopez had a dunk with 2...
Tuukka Rask’s roll has Bruins a win away from Stanley Cup Final
RALEIGH, N.C. — Tuukka Rask is stopping just about any puck playoff opponents can shoot his way — even the ones he doesn’t see. The goaltender has been dominant in the Boston Bruins’ six-game postseason winning streak that has them on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final. Just don’t...
Jeff Koon’s ‘Rabbit’ fetches record $91 million at Christie’s auction
NEW YORK — A stainless steel sculpture of a rabbit by Jeff Koons has set an auction record Wednesday in New York, fetching over $91 million. The sale of Pennsylvania native Koons’ 1986 “Rabbit” at Christie’s was the most expensive work by a living artist ever sold at auction. The...
Pelicans going at own pace after hitting NBA lottery jackpot
NEW ORLEANS — In the NBA city most familiar with “gris-gris,” folks see no small measure of poetic justice in the fact their team will dictate the fate of a coveted prospect named Zion. Mystical explanations aside, the Pelicans are in the driver’s seat now but say they’re in no...
Odell Beckham spends 1 day of practice with Browns, leaves again
BEREA, Ohio — Odell Beckham Jr.’s current part-time employment isn’t bothering the Browns. Not yet, anyway. The star wide receiver did not practice Wednesday after showing up Tuesday for Cleveland’s voluntary offseason program, ending an excused — if not questionable — monthlong absence. Beckham, who was acquired in a March...
Thousands protest against cathedral in Russian city
MOSCOW — Several thousand people rallied on Wednesday in Russia’s fourth-largest city as the showdown between authorities and activists protesting the plans to a build a new cathedral in a local park entered its third day. Thousands gathered Wednesday evening in a riverside park in Yekaterinburg. Some of them were...
Mexico cancels school in capital due to poor air quality
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s education ministry cancelled schools in the capital and surrounding areas for Thursday due to a siege of air pollution. Weather conditions at the end of Mexico’s dry season combined with dozens of brush fires burning in and around the city have produced a blanket of smoky...
Judge: No site permit needed for refinery near national park
BISMARCK, N.D. — A North Dakota judge has ruled that regulators properly refrained from getting involved in a dispute over the location of an $800 million oil refinery planned near Theodore Roosevelt National Park, sparing developers from a potentially lengthy delay in construction. The Public Service Commission last year declined...
8 days after cyberattack, Baltimore’s network still hobbled
BALTIMORE — More than a week after a cyberattack hobbled Baltimore’s computer network, city officials said Wednesday they can’t predict when its overall system will be up and running and continued to give only the broadest outlines of the problem. Baltimore’s government rushed to take down most computer servers May...
White House launches survey looking for tech industry bias
SAN FRANCISCO — On the heels of President Trump’s repeated assertions claiming anti-conservative bias by tech companies, the White House has launched an online form asking people to share their experiences if they think political partisanship has led them to be silenced by social media sites. The White House’s official...
California cafe touts its $75 coffee as the world’s priciest
SAN FRANCISCO — A California cafe is brewing up what it calls the world’s most expensive coffee — at $75 a cup. Klatch Coffee is serving the exclusive brew, the Elida Natural Geisha 803, at its branches in Southern California and San Francisco. The 803 in the coffee’s name refers...
Former Met conductor’s company received $936K from opera in final season
NEW YORK — Records show conductor James Levine’s company received more than $936,755 from the Metropolitan Opera in his 47th and final season, a tenure cut short when he was fired as music director emeritus after an investigation found evidence of sexual abuse and harassment. The payments to Phramus were...
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin optimistic on trade battles
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday that the U.S. is making progress on lifting tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico, potentially overcoming a key hurdle toward approval of a trade agreement among the three countries. Addressing another contentious trade issue, Mnuchin said he expects...
‘Time for us to live for him’: Slain Colorado student remembered
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — Nearly 2,000 people turned out Wednesday for a memorial service to honor the Colorado teenager who was killed while charging one of the two gunmen who opened fire inside a high school and shot nine people just days before graduation. A line of Jeeps and trucks...
Chris Archer not sharp in return from injury; Pirates fall to DiamondbacksVideo
PHOENIX — Zack Greinke was cruising along when he felt something wrong. Taking no chances, the Arizona Diamondbacks ace called it a day. Greinke pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning before exiting with abdominal tightness, and the Diamondbacks routed Chris Archer and the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-1, on Wednesday. Diamondbacks...
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs abortion ban into law
MONTGOMERY — Alabama’s Republican governor signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. “To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every...
Bob Baffert to saddle favorite Improbable in search of record 8th Preakness win
BALTIMORE — In a field without the top three finishers in the Kentucky Derby, the odds Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert wouldn’t have the favorite in the Preakness are, well, Improbable. Baffert will seek a record-setting eighth Preakness victory Saturday with 5-2 morning line favorite Improbable, who will start...
