Associated Press stories, Page 352
Microsoft shutting down Skype in May
REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft is closing down Skype, the video-calling service it bought for $8.5 billion in 2011. The tech giant said Friday it will retire Skype in May and shift some of its services to Microsoft Teams, its flagship videoconferencing platform. Skype users will be able to use their...
Zelenskyy leaves White House without signing minerals deal after Oval Office blowup
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful” Friday in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, then abruptly called off the signing of a minerals deal with the U.S. that Trump said would have moved Ukraine closer to ending its war with Russia. The astonishing turn...
Tariff threats and uncertainty could weigh on consumers, drag down U.S. economy, government report suggests
WASHINGTON — Ongoing tariff threats from Washington and potentially sweeping government job cuts have darkened consumers’ mood and may be weighing on an otherwise mostly healthy economy. Data released Friday showed that consumers slashed their spending by the most since February 2021, even as their incomes rose. On a positive...
Hundreds of officers on hand as slain Pennsylvania patrolman’s casket arrives for funeral
RED LION, Pa. — Police vehicles from across Pennsylvania and beyond were arriving at a church Friday for the funeral of a police officer who was shot and killed while coming to the rescue of medical personnel and patients during an attack on a hospital intensive care unit last weekend....
What to know about the lives and deaths of Hollywood icon Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa
Hollywood icon Gene Hackman, his wife and one of their dogs were found dead in their New Mexico home, and investigators believe they had been dead for some time. A maintenance worker reported the deaths of Hackman and 65-year-old Betsy Arakawa on Wednesday, according to a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s...
Family of U.S. marine veteran killed in Ukraine tells funeral in Kyiv he died fighting for freedom
KYIV, Ukraine — A funeral service was held in Kyiv on Friday for a U.S. Marine Corps veteran killed while serving alongside Ukrainian forces. Family and friends said 21-year-old Ethan Hertweck had given his life fighting for freedom. Hertweck, from California, traveled to Ukraine soon after Russia launched its full-scale...
Mourners bury 1 of the last hostages released from Gaza as talks start for ceasefire future
JERUSALEM — Mourners in Israel on Friday were burying the remains of one of the last hostages released in the first phase of the ceasefire between Hamas militants and Israel, as negotiators discussed a second phase of the deal that could end the war in Gaza and see the remaining...
Are egg producers inflating prices during the bird flu outbreak to boost profits?
OMAHA, Neb. — Egg producers blame the bird flu outbreak for driving prices to record highs, but critics believe giant companies are taking advantage of their market dominance to profit handsomely at the expense of budget-conscious egg buyers. Advocacy groups, Democratic lawmakers and a Federal Trade Commission member are calling...
Menendez family criticizes L.A. district attorney for opposing brothers’ new trial
LOS ANGELES — Cousins of Erik and Lyle Menendez spoke out Thursday criticizing the Los Angeles district attorney’s recent decision to oppose a new trial for the brothers, who have spent nearly 30 years in prison for the 1989 killing of their parents. The Menendez cousins applauded California Gov. Gavin...
UN talks end in Rome with nations backing $200 billion a year plan to protect nature
BOGOTA, Colombia — Global negotiators concluded an extended session of the United Nations biodiversity conference, COP16, with key commitments on funds needed and the institutions through which the funds will be channeled to protect the world’s biodiversity. The countries agreed on how they would contribute $200 billion a year by...
Harsh flu season has health officials worried about brain complications in children
WASHINGTON — This year’s harsh flu season — the most intense in 15 years — has federal health officials trying to understand if it sparked an increase in a rare but life-threatening brain complication in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 19,000 people have died from the...
Suicide bomb at a seminary in Pakistan kills top cleric, 5 others ahead of Ramadan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber blew himself up after walking into a mosque within a pro-Taliban seminary in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing a top cleric and five other worshippers and wounding dozens of others ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan, according to local police. The blast occurred...
Violent protests erupt in Athens on rail crash anniversary as frustration over system failures boils over
ATHENS, Greece — Protesters hurling Molotov cocktails and smashing paving stones clashed with riot police firing volleys of tear gas and stun grenades in central Athens Friday, as tens of thousands of people took to the streets of cities across Greece to mark the second anniversary of a devastating train...
Russia offers to restore direct air links with the U.S., during Istanbul talks
MOSCOW — Russia has offered the United States to restore direct air links between the two countries during the latest round of consultations with Washington, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday. Russian and U.S. diplomats met in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss normalizing the operation of their respective embassies that...
No big new revelations in Justice Department’s release of Jeffrey Epstein files
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday released government documents related to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, but the first wave of files posted on the Justice Department website have largely been circulating in the public domain for years and didn’t include any new bombshells about the sex trafficking case...
Jake Knapp shoots 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Jake Knapp knew he was on the verge of something special early Thursday, with a run of five straight birdies to open his round at the Cognizant Classic. In the end, he joined one of golf’s most elite clubs. Knapp — the 99th-ranked player in...
Florida Gator battles Florida gator, Billy Horschel prevails at PGA National
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A Gator took on a gator. Billy Horschel won. Let’s explain: Horschel played his college golf for the Florida Gators, so he knows plenty about the wildlife that gets seen on courses in the Sunshine State — including, yes, alligators. And when a gator made...
NASCAR stars enjoy immersive Mexico City visit ahead of first international Cup Series raceVideo
MEXICO CITY — Daniel Suarez led a quartet of NASCAR stars through the streets of Mexico City, after midnight, in search of a nightcap after a full day of showcasing his native country to his fellow competitors. NASCAR will hold its first points-paying international Cup Series race in modern history...
Long champions of social justice, Black athletes say their voices are needed now more than everVideo
For WNBA veteran Natasha Cloud, speaking up about social justice is just as important as winning basketball games. Cloud has had a successful nine-year pro career that includes a WNBA championship and being the career-assists leader for her former Washington Mystics. She also has used her platform for social justice...
Heisman Trophy winner and 2-way star Travis Hunter says he won’t work out at the NFL combineVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter insists he’s a different kind of player. He’s just waiting until March to put on his dazzling show for NFL scouts. The two-way star said Thursday he does not intend to work out with the defensive backs Friday or the receivers Saturday at...
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce plans to play next season rather than retire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce plans to play next season rather than retire. The 35-year-old Kelce had been mulling whether to return for a 13th season. But the four-time All-Pro made his feelings clear in a text to Pat McAfee that the host read...
Former defense chiefs call for congressional hearings on Trump’s firing of senior military leaders
WASHINGTON — Five former secretaries of defense are calling on Congress to hold immediate hearings on President Donald Trump’s recent firings of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several other senior military leaders, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. The five men — who...
Cardinal McElroy calls for compassion in immigration policy as he prepares to lead in Washington
Cardinal Robert McElroy, who is getting ready to take over as archbishop of Washington, D.C. in March, called for compassion and dignity for migrants Thursday. Speaking at a news conference at the Diocese of San Diego, where he has served as bishop for over a decade, McElroy acknowledged that he...
CDC report adds to evidence that HPV vaccine is preventing cervical cancer in U.S. women
A new government report adds to evidence that the HPV vaccine, once called dangerous by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is preventing cervical cancer in young women. The report comes after Kennedy pledged to give a family member any fees he might earn from HPV vaccine...
Transgender troops are now being identified for removal under Pentagon orders
WASHINGTON — The military services have 30 days to figure out how they will seek out and identify transgender service members to remove them from the force — a daunting task that may end up relying on troops self-reporting or tattling on their colleagues. A memo sent to Defense Department...
