Associated Press stories, Page 605
Pat Sajak’s final episode as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ host is here
LOS ANGELES — After 41 years and over 8,000 episodes, Pat Sajak’s final turn as the renowned host of “Wheel of Fortune” will air on Friday. Sajak’s co-host and letter turner Vanna White paid an emotional tribute to her partner on Thursday’s episode, calling him “like a brother” and a...
Zombies: Ranks of world’s most debt-hobbled companies are soaring, and not all will survive
NEW YORK — They are called zombies, companies so laden with debt that they are just stumbling by on the brink of survival, barely able to pay even the interest on their loans and often just a bad business hit away from dying off for good. An Associated Press analysis...
A new account rekindles allegations that Trump disrespected Black people on ‘The Apprentice’
Gene Folkes had just been jettisoned as a contestant on “The Apprentice” and was commiserating with a crew member at a bar inside the lobby of Trump Tower. He was indignant — and not just at having been kicked off the reality show after its star, Donald Trump, had delivered...
Like Reagan before him, Biden looks to capture magic of Pointe du Hoc story
PARIS — President Joe Biden will return to Normandy for a second day during his trip to France as he tries to rally Americans in defense of democracy from Pointe du Hoc, a legendary spot along the coast where Army Rangers scaled cliffs during the D-Day invasion. The site’s prominence...
At D-Day ceremony, American veteran hugs Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and calls him a savior
OMAHA BEACH, France — An American veteran and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared an emotional moment at a ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion to liberate France in World War II, each praising the other as a hero. Retired Staff Sgt. Melvin Hurwitz, 99, and other...
Biden apologizes to Ukraine’s Zelenskyy for monthslong holdup to weapons that let Russia make gains
PARIS — President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly apologized to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a monthslong holdup in American military assistance that let Russia make gains on the battlefield. Speaking in Paris, where they both attended ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings,...
Oklahoma beats Texas to win record 4th straight NCAA softball title
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma slugged its way to a record fourth straight NCAA softball title, getting a go-ahead, bases-clearing double from Cydney Sanders and beating Texas, 8-4, on Thursday night for a two-game sweep of the Women’s College World Series championship. The Sooners won their eighth title overall, all under...
Brown has 22, Porzingis returns with 20 as Celtics open NBA Finals with 107-89 win over MavericksVideo
BOSTON — Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 20 in his first game in more than a month and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks, 107-89, on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led...
Class-action lawsuit against NFL by ‘Sunday Ticket’ subscribers gets underway
LOS ANGELES — A class-action lawsuit filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers claiming the NFL broke antitrust laws got underway in federal court Thursday with the league’s attorney telling jurors that fans have a choice when it comes to watching games and the “Sunday Ticket” package is a premium product. “The...
Oilers’ Connor McDavid, hockey’s biggest star, finally gets chance to win Stanley Cup
Sherry Bassin sees the intense look on Connor McDavid’s face during warmups and knows the best hockey player in the world is going to have one of those games. He noticed it before the clinching game that sent the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final, when McDavid scored less...
Some Republicans booed, walked out as Pa. House recognized Jan. 6 Capitol police officers
HARRISBURG — A visit to the Pennsylvania House floor by two former police officers who helped protect the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot of 2021 drew boos and walkouts by some Republican legislators this week. Witnesses said the appearance Wednesday by former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn...
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says finalizing the new media rights deals is ‘complex’ processVideo
BOSTON — Getting the NBA’s next round of media rights deals completed is a complex proposition, commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, especially because nobody can say with any certainty what the viewing landscape will look like in the future. Silver, speaking in his annual pre-NBA Finals news conference, did not...
Hadwin hoping to turn corner at Memorial as Scheffler and Schauffele start strong againVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Adam Hadwin had too many birdies to complain about ending his round at the Memorial on a sour note Thursday. His 6-under-par 66 was enough to lead Masters champion Scottie Scheffler by one shot and give the Canadian hope he is turning the corner at the right...
Texas sheriff says 7 suspects arrested, 11 migrants hospitalized after sting near San Antonio
AUSTIN — Eleven people were hospitalized and seven smuggling suspects were arrested Thursday when authorities found more than two dozen migrants who had been driven from the border packed in a secret compartment of a trailer with little water and in sweltering heat. Acting on a tip about a smuggling...
Lakers conduct a public coaching search, considering Redick and Hurley, in hopes of pleasing LeBronVideo
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search has been very public, seemingly chaotic and dominated by famous names. Totally Hollywood, in other words. The Lakers’ reported plan to offer a massive contract to UConn coach Dan Hurley is the latest twist in the monthlong race to replace Darvin...
Belmont at Saratoga means shortening the 3rd Triple Crown race, but most are OK with thatVideo
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The Belmont Stakes is the final test of the Triple Crown, the third resume booster to edge a horse into the history books. It’s not an easy feat. The third leg is the longest of the three races at 1 1/2 miles and requires a horse...
Ex-NASCAR driver Tighe Scott and 3 other Pennsylvania men face charges stemming from Capitol riot
Retired NASCAR driver Tighe Scott, his adult son and two other Pennsylvania men are facing felony charges stemming from confrontations with police during the Jan. 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol. Scott, 75, of Pen Argyl, and three Saylorsburg residents — Jarret Scott, 48; Scott Slater Sr., 56, and...
Matthew Tkachuk’s numbers are down from last year. The Panthers insist his value has gone upVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk’s basic offensive numbers for the Florida Panthers are down this season. Goals, down. Assists, down. Points, down. Shooting percentage, down. On paper, that doesn’t look great. On ice, Florida sees things very differently. “You just have to look at some different numbers,” Panthers coach...
United States shocks heavyweight Pakistan at T20 World Cup after forcing super overVideo
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — The United States scored a major upset at the T20 World Cup by beating cricket heavyweight Pakistan in the super over on Thursday. The U.S. had routed Canada in its opening Group A game, but beating 2022 runner-up Pakistan counts as historic in a country that...
A new ‘Hunger Games’ book — and movie — is coming
NEW YORK — Inspired by an 18th century Scottish philosopher and the modern scourge of misinformation, Suzanne Collins is returning to the ravaged, post-apocalyptic land of Panem for a new “The Hunger Games” novel. Scholastic announced Thursday that “Sunrise on the Reaping,” the fifth volume of Collins’ blockbuster dystopian series,...
Records expunged for St. Louis couple who waved guns at protesters. They want their guns back
ST. LOUIS — A judge has expunged the misdemeanor convictions of a St. Louis couple who waved guns at racial injustice protesters outside their mansion in 2020. Now they want their guns back. Attorneys Mark and Patricia McCloskey filed a request in January to have the convictions wiped away. Judge...
A 102-year-old World War II veteran dies en route to D-Day commemorations in Europe
A World War II Navy veteran was being mourned Thursday following his death while en route to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a trip friends said he’d talked excitedly about making. Robert “Al” Persichitti of Fairport, N.Y., fell ill during a stop in Germany last week and...
Biden calls for solidarity with Ukraine at D-Day anniversary ceremony near the beaches of Normandy
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — President Joe Biden marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday by pledging “we will not walk away” from Ukraine, drawing a direct line from the fight to liberate Europe from Nazi domination to today’s war against Russian aggression. “To surrender to bullies, to bow down to...
Kentucky Democratic governor pushes back against Trump-led attacks on electric vehicles
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Electric vehicles have built up enough momentum from job growth and investments to steer past any roadblocks from Donald Trump and other critics, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday. The Democratic governor said the thousands of EV-related jobs springing up across the country, including in rural GOP...
Chiefs backup lineman taken to hospital after cardiac event during team meeting, AP source says
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs backup B.J. Thompson was taken to a hospital in stable condition Thursday after the defensive lineman experienced a cardiac event during a team meeting, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person, speaking to the AP on condition of...
