Associated Press stories, Page 2516
Actor Seymour Cassel, frequent Cassavetes collaborator, dies
LOS ANGELES — Character actors aren’t often called larger-than-life, but Seymour Cassel, was just that. The live-wire pillar of independent film known for his frequent collaborations with John Cassavetes and Wes Anderson, has died at 84. His daughter, Dilyn Cassel Murphy, said Monday that her father died Sunday surrounded by...
Pirates’ winning streak snapped in blowout loss in Cubs’ home openerVideo
First, Brad Brach escaped a tough situation. Then Brandon Kintzler, Randy Rosario and Pedro Strop finished the job. Chicago’s beleaguered bullpen stepped up after Jon Lester departed with left hamstring tightness, leading the Cubs over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-0, in their home opener Monday. “That will build their confidence. They...
Judge blocks Trump’s asylum policy but delays enforcement
SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration’s policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico as they wait for an immigration court to hear their cases but the order won’t immediately go into effect. Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco granted a request by civil liberties...
Justin Rose looks to finally finish at AugustaVideo
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Justin Rose has been atop the leaderboard at the Masters after every round except the one that matters. He has been runner-up twice, most recently in a playoff that would have been more crushing if not for seeing close friend Sergio Garcia celebrate his first major. The...
Felicity Huffman, 12 other parents to plead guilty in college scheme
BOSTON — Actress Felicity Huffman and a dozen other prominent parents have agreed to plead guilty in the sweeping college admissions cheating scam that has ensnared wealthy families and athletic coaches at some of the nation’s most selective universities, federal authorities said Monday. The “Desperate Housewives” star and the other...
3 American soldiers, 1 U.S. contractor killed in Afghanistan
KABUL — Three American service members and a U.S. contractor were killed when their convoy hit a roadside bomb on Monday near the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, the U.S. forces said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The U.S. and NATO Resolute Support mission said the four Americans...
Bills to combat child sexual abuse move ahead in Pennsylvania Legislature
HARRISBURG — Two related bills designed to help victims of child sexual abuse received favorable committee votes in the Pennsylvania House on Monday and are poised to pass the full chamber in the coming days. The House Judiciary Committee voted overwhelmingly for a bill that would eliminate the statute of...
Louisiana officer Jonathan Landrum cleared in fatal shooting
LAKE CHARLES, La. — The family of a 26-year-old man who was killed after threatening a store clerk with a lethal-looking BB gun plans to sue now that a Louisiana grand jury has cleared the officer who shot him. The grand jury rejected three possible charges against Lake Charles Police...
Bad idea: Pouring gas on wet ballfield, setting it on fire
RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — Authorities say it could cost over $50,000 to repair a Connecticut baseball diamond where somebody dumped gasoline and set it on fire to dry out the infield. Police are investigating the fire in Ridgefield in which 25 gallons of gasoline was poured on the field Saturday. First...
For some river towns, flood protection is simply too costly
CLARKSVILLE, Mo. — The window of the Bee Naturals bath-and-body shop offers a view out of a Mark Twain novel: The sprawling Mississippi River at one of its widest points lapping against a small-town Missouri waterfront as barges float by and eagles dart in the air above. But with a...
Global warming is shrinking glaciers faster than thought
WASHINGTON — Earth’s glaciers are melting much faster than scientists thought. A new study shows they are losing 369 billion tons of snow and ice each year, more than half of that in North America. The most comprehensive measurement of glaciers worldwide found that thousands of inland masses of snow...
Panthers hire 3-time Stanley Cup winner Joel Quenneville as coach
SUNRISE, Fla. — Dale Tallon and Joel Quenneville are together again, and the Florida Panthers are ready for them to recreate their magic. Quenneville — who is second on the NHL’s all-time victory list — was hired Monday to coach the Panthers, who started their offseason with a splash. It’s...
Ex-inmate hired to lead Pennsylvania Board of Pardons
HARRISBURG — A former legislative aide who did prison time for drug and weapons offenses has taken over as secretary to the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons amid efforts to streamline the clemency process, officials said Monday. Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman announced the appointment of Brandon Flood to the $89,000-a-year...
Historic Pennsylvania barn’s ban on same-sex weddings prompts outcry
ELIZABETHTOWN — A county tourism group is sticking by its decision to hold a meeting at a historic venue in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, despite an outcry of the locale’s policy banning same-sex weddings. The Star Barn is a top wedding spot in Elizabethtown, surrounded by farmland, orchards and vineyards in...
U.S. labels Iran Revolutionary Guard ‘terrorist organization’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Monday that the U.S. is designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a “foreign terrorist organization,” in an effort to increase pressure on the country. It is the first time that the U.S. has designated a part of another country as a terrorist organization. The designation imposes...
Spacewalking astronauts tackle battery, cable work
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Spacewalking astronauts tackled battery and cable work outside the International Space Station on Monday. It was the third spacewalk in just 2 ½ weeks for the space station crew. NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques hustled through their part in battery swap-outs that...
Trump’s choice to replace Nielsen focuses on southern border
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has resigned amid President Donald Trump’s growing frustration and bitterness over the number of Central American families crossing the southern border. Trump announced on Sunday in a tweet that U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan would be taking over as acting...
Bernie Sanders finds himself in a new role as front-runner
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is quieting critics who questioned whether he could recapture the energy of his upstart 2016 campaign, surpassing his rivals in early fundraising and establishing himself as an indisputable front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Less than two months into his second White House...
Following Grammy win, Dan + Shay victorious at ACM Awards
There’s more liquid in Dan + Shay’s cup of tequila: The country music duo followed their first Grammy win for “Tequila” with multiple wins at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Dan + Shay won duo of the year and single of the year for the crossover hit at the...
Virginia Tech hires former Wofford coach to replace Buzz Williams
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech has hired former Wofford men’s basketball coach Mike Young to replace Buzz Williams. The school announced the decision Sunday night, just four days after Williams left to take the same job at Texas A&M. Young, a native of Radford, Va., about 10 miles from the...
Virginia basketball known for upsets, and maybe a national title
MINNEAPOLIS — It is not Duke, North Carolina or UCLA. Yet, when sorting through all the games, personalities and events that helped shape college basketball into the billion-dollar colossus it is today, it’s hard to look past the name “Virginia.” It’s the program that gave us one of the sport’s...
Pennsylvania man gets 3 to 6 years in Russian roulette death
LOCK HAVEN — A man has been sentenced to three to six years in prison on charges related to a game of Russian roulette that killed another man in central Pennsylvania. Fifty-five-year-old Randy Hill was sentenced last week after pleading guilty in Clinton County to reckless endangering and drug counts...
Corey Conners wins Valero days after qualifying, will play MastersVideo
SAN ANTONIO — His first PGA Tour victory in the bag and his ticket punched for next week’s Masters, Corey Conners’ primary concern was a big change to his work weeks going forward. “No more Monday qualifying,” Conners said. “That’s the best deal from this. Amazing. It’s a dream come...
NHL playoff matchups set for ‘best time of year’
The team expected to win it all faces an opponent that loaded up for the same thing, the defending champions go up against a playoff newcomer and the wild West is wide open in the quest for the Stanley Cup. The NHL playoffs open Wednesday when the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa...
Inside the life of the Capitals’ Tom Wilson, hockey’s most hated man
ARLINGTON, Va. — Tom Wilson tries not to read everything about him on social media. You’d think being on the receiving end of endless tweets and messages that are, well, not suitable for work would be reason enough to skip them. But Wilson can’t just ignore it all because sometimes...
