Associated Press stories, Page 636
Russian Soyuz rocket with 3 astronauts blasts off to the International Space Station
MOSCOW — A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station blasted off Saturday, two days after its launch was aborted at the last minute. The spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Russian Oleg Novitsky and Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus launched smoothly from the Russian-leased Baikonur launch...
United Airlines says federal regulators will increase oversight of the company following issues
CHICAGO — Federal regulators are increasing their oversight of United Airlines, the company announced Friday, following a series of recent issues including a piece of the outer fuselage falling off one jet, an engine fire and a plane losing a tire during takeoff. United’s vice president of corporate safety, Sasha...
With all the recent headlines about panels and tires falling off planes, is flying safe?
DALLAS — It has been 15 years since the last fatal crash of a U.S. airliner, but you would never know that by reading about a torrent of flight problems in the last three months. There was a time when things like cracked windshields and minor engine problems didn’t turn...
Worldwide support pours in for Kate, the Princess of Wales, after shocking cancer reveal
LONDON — Support poured in from around the world Saturday for Kate, the Princess of Wales, after she revealed in a candid video message that she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer following major abdominal surgery. The princess’s poignant video, in which she spoke about the “huge shock” and “incredibly tough...
Penn State sends 6 to finals, clinches 11th NCAA wrestling title in 13 years
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks will have a chance to make some wrestling history for Penn State. The two Nittany Lions passed their semifinal tests at the NCAA championships on Friday night, giving them a chance to join an exclusive club of four-time winners on Saturday...
James Madison pulls off 1st 12-5 upset by knocking off Wisconsin
NEW YORK — James Madison announced itself by beating a Big Ten team to start this season. When the Dukes did it again to start their NCAA Tournament, they made sure everybody knew: “It’s not an upset,” Xavier Brown yelled, popping his jersey in the middle of the celebration with...
Ivy League strikes again as No. 13 Yale takes down No. 4 Auburn
SPOKANE, Wash. — A year ago, Yale’s John Poulakidas and August Mahoney were stuck at home watching the Ivy League champion make a magical NCAA Tournament run. The two Bulldogs wanted a taste of what that was like. Given the opportunity on Friday, they helped Yale become the latest Ivy...
Cink at age 50 part of a five-way share of the lead at InnisbrookVideo
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Stewart Cink made a great escape from the pine straw for an unlikely birdie and had a 4-under-par 67 that gave him a five-way share of the lead Friday in the Valspar Championship and a chance to entertain thoughts of winning for the second straight tournament....
White Sox release infielder Mike Moustakas, outfielder Kevin Pillar
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Chicago White Sox released infielder Mike Moustakas and outfielder Kevin Pillar on Friday. Both were in camp on minor league deals. The moves increase the likelihood of Gavin Sheets making the team’s opening-day roster. The 35-year-old Moustakas hit .247 with 12 homers and 48 RBIs in...
Casey, McCormick to appear alone on Senate ballots in Pennsylvania after courts boot off challengers
HARRISBURG — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick will be the only eligible names on ballots for the office in Pennsylvania’s April primary after a ruling Friday by the state’s highest court. The ruling completed the third of three successful court challenges to the paperwork of three...
MLB investigating gambling, theft allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball has opened a formal investigation into illegal gambling and theft allegations involving Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Mizuhara was let go from the team Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties...
Pennsylvania lawmakers push to find out causes of death for older adults in abuse or neglect cases
HARRISBURG — Republican state lawmakers are pushing Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration to do more to investigate the deaths of older adults who are the subject of an abuse or neglect complaint after Pennsylvania recorded a steep increase in such deaths starting in 2019. Shapiro’s Department of Aging has balked at...
National Guard helicopters help battle West Virginia wildfires in steep terrain
CHARLESTON — The West Virginia National Guard joined in battling wildfires Friday that have scorched more than 4,000 acres in the state and destroyed several homes. Two Blackhawk helicopters dropped water from buckets on the fires in steep, wooded terrain in Hardy County, the National Guard said on social media....
Catherine, Princess of Wales, says she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy
LONDON — Catherine, the Princess of Wales, said Friday she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. The video announcement came after weeks of speculation spread on social media about her whereabouts and health since she was hospitalized in January for unspecified abdominal surgery. Catherine, 42, hadn’t been seen publicly since...
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene files motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson
WASHINGTON — Speaker Mike Johnson is at risk of being ousted after hard-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene filed a “motion to vacate” on Friday in the middle of a House vote on a $1.2 trillion package to keep the government open. It’s the same political dynamic that removed the last Republican...
Trump’s social media company approved to go public, potentially netting former president billions
NEW YORK — Donald Trump is returning to the stock market, and the former president stands to reap a sizeable payout in the process. Shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded shell company, approved a deal to merge with the Trump’s media business in a Friday vote. That...
What is Truth Social, Donald Trump’s social media platform?
SAN FRANCISCO — Former President Donald Trump launched his social media platform, Truth Social, in early 2022, after he was banned from major sites such as Facebook and the platform formerly known as Twitter following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. While he’s since been reinstated to both,...
Stellantis recalls nearly 285,000 cars to replace side air bags that can explode and hurl shrapnel
DETROIT — Stellantis is recalling nearly 285,000 Dodge and Chrysler sedans because the side air bag inflators can explode with too much force and hurl metal fragments at drivers and passengers. The recall covers air bag inflators on both sides of Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300 large cars from the...
Russia attacks Ukrainian electrical power facilities, including major hydroelectric plant
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia attacked electrical power facilities in much of Ukraine, including the country’s largest hydroelectric plant, causing widespread outages and killing at least five people, officials said Friday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 60 drones and about 90 rockets were used in the attack. The attack came...
U.S. surgeons transplant a gene-edited pig kidney into a patient for the first time
NEW YORK — Doctors in Boston have transplanted a pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient, the latest experiment in the quest to use animal organs in humans. Massachusetts General Hospital said Thursday that it’s the first time a genetically modified pig kidney has been transplanted into a living person. Previously,...
Refugee camps in Chad are overcrowded and running out of aid, and Sudanese refugees keep coming
METCHE CAMP, Chad — Overcrowded refugee camps in eastern Chad are set to run out of money soon, exacerbating a dire humanitarian crisis caused by the spillover from a deadly conflict in Sudan, the United Nations said. More than a million people in Chad, including refugees, face losing access to...
Cheating on your spouse is a crime in New York, but the 1907 law may finally be repealed
ALBANY, N.Y. — For more than a century, it has been a crime to cheat on your spouse in New York. But adultery may soon be legal in the Empire State thanks to a bill working its way through the New York Legislature, which would finally repeal the seldom-used law...
Former executive given death sentence in poisoning of founder of high-flying Chinese gaming company
BEIJING — A former executive at Yoozoo Games was sentenced to death on Friday in the 2020 poisoning of the founder of the high-profile Chinese gaming company, which has links to “Game of Thrones” and the new Netflix series, “The Three-Body Problem.” Xu Yao poisoned the food of company founder...
Congress rushes to approve final package of spending bills before shutdown deadline
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are racing Friday to pass the final spending package needed for the current budget year, a long overdue action that will set funding for federal agencies and push any threats of a government shutdown to the fall. With spending set to expire for several key federal agencies...
Another early exit for Kentucky, John Calipari shows his program is far removed from its heyday
John Calipari finished the postgame handshake line and made a beeline toward the locker room. A quick exit. Another early one for Kentucky. As Calipari walked off the floor at PPG Paints Arena in what had been an otherwise warm return trip to his blue-collar Western Pennsylvania roots, he kept...

