Associated Press stories, Page 679
Japan’s royal family makes formal debut on Instagram as world’s oldest monarchy tries to draw youth
TOKYO — Japan’s imperial family made an Instagram debut with a barrage of posts Monday, hoping to shake off their reclusive image and reach out to younger people on social media. The Imperial Household Agency, a government agency in charge of the family’s affairs, posted 60 photos and five videos...
Germany has legalized possession of small amounts of cannabis. But the buzz may not last
FRANKFURT, Germany — Marijuana campaigners in Germany lit celebratory joints Monday as the country legalized possession of small amounts of cannabis for recreational use — a step that hasn’t ended the debate over the drug. The German Cannabis Association, which campaigned for the new law, staged a “smoke-in” at Berlin’s...
Donald Trump posts $175 million bond to avert asset seizure as he appeals NY fraud penalty
NEW YORK — Donald Trump posted a $175 million bond on Monday in his New York civil fraud case, halting collection of the more than $454 million he owes and preventing the state from seizing his assets to satisfy the debt while he appeals, according to a court filing. A...
Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice cooperating with police after sports car crash in Dallas, attorney saysVideo
DALLAS — An attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice said Monday that the wide receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend. A total of six vehicles were involved in...
Barbara Rush, actor who co-starred with Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman among others, dies at 97
LOS ANGELES — Barbara Rush, a popular leading actor in the 1950s and 1960s who co-starred with Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman and other top film performers and later had a thriving TV career, has died. She was 97. Rush’s death was announced by her daughter, Fox News reporter Claudia Cowan,...
Mike Feinsilber fought the epic AP-UPI rivalry from both camps with wit and grace
WASHINGTON — Mike Feinsilber, whose masterful way with words and mischievous wit enlivened American journalism for five decades, the bulk of them at The Associated Press, died Monday. He was a month shy of 90. Feinsilber died at home, said his wife of 55 years, Doris Feinsilber, a pioneering computer...
FBI says a driver rammed a vehicle into the front gate of its Atlanta office
ATLANTA — The FBI says a driver rammed a vehicle into the front gate of its Atlanta office on Monday, but his motives were not immediately known. The crash happened shortly after noon. Pete Ellis, assistant special agent in charge of the agency’s Atlanta office, told reporters the man tried...
Trump Media stock falls more than 21% after company discloses $58 million loss for 2023
NEW YORK — Less than a week after a flashy stock market debut, Donald Trump’s social media company Monday disclosed it lost nearly $58.2 million last year, sending its stock tumbling more than 21%. Losses in 2023 for Trump Media & Technology Group — whose flagship product is Truth Social...
Joe Gibbs has good problem after Denny Hamlin’s pit crew steals win from Martin Truex
RICHMOND, Va. — Joe Gibbs probably expects the organizational meeting of his four NASCAR Cup Series teams to be somewhat challenging this week, even after a weekend sweep at Richmond Raceway. After Chandler Smith led a 1-2-3 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series race Saturday, the owner...
Penn State loses to top seed Villanova in WBIT semifinals
INDIANAPOLIS — Lucy Olsen scored 21 points, and Kaitlyn Orihel added 13 to lead Villanova past Penn State, 58-53, in Monday’s first Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament semifinal. Olsen also had six assists and six rebounds, and Bella Runyan finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. Penn State was...
UConn, Purdue, Alabama, N.C. State ride transfers into Final Four
Connecticut and Purdue needed the right fit. Alabama needed more bodies. N.C. State had big holes to fill in the backcourt. They all mined the transfer portal effectively enough that those pieces are key reasons that they’ve reached the Final Four, headed to Glendale, Ariz., with a chance to hoist...
Florida Supreme Court upholds state’s 15-week ban on most abortions, but voters will soon have a say
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, while also giving voters a chance to remove restrictions in November and restore abortion rights in most cases. The court that was...
UPS to become the primary air cargo provider for the United States Postal Service
UPS will become the primary air cargo provider for the United States Postal Service. The Atlanta shipping company said Monday that it had received an air cargo contract from the U.S. Postal Service that significantly expands an existing partnership between the two. UPS will move the majority of air cargo...
Easter Sunday shooting in Nashville restaurant kills 1 man and injures 5 others
NASHVILLE — A man was killed and five other people were injured during a shooting inside a Nashville, Tennessee, restaurant on Easter Sunday, police said. The shooting around 3 p.m. in Nashville’s Salemtown neighborhood began within minutes of the male suspect’s arrival at the restaurant with a woman, police said....
Lou Conter, last survivor of USS Arizona from Pearl Harbor attack, dies at 102
HONOLULU — The last living survivor of the USS Arizona battleship that exploded and sank during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor has died. Lou Conter was 102. Conter passed away at his home Monday in Grass Valley, California as a result of congestive heart failure, his daughter, Louann Daley...
Former NFL player Vontae Davis found dead in his South Florida homeVideo
SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla. — Former Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis was found dead in his South Florida home on Monday, but police say no foul play is suspected. Police in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Davie said they responded to a medical emergency at Davis’ home Monday...
Alex Murdaugh gets 40 years in federal prison for stealing from clients and his law firm
CHARLESTON, S.C. — For maybe the last time, Alex Murdaugh, in a prison jumpsuit instead of the suit he used to wear, shuffled into a courtroom Monday in South Carolina and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. Murdaugh was punished — this time in federal court — for...
Migrants in Iowa wonder whether to leave over a bill that could see some arrested and deported
DES MOINES, Iowa — A bill in Iowa that would allow the state to arrest and deport some migrants is stoking anxiety among immigrant communities, leaving some to wonder: “Should I leave Iowa?” The legislation, which is expected to be signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, would make it a state...
Powerball jackpot reaches $1 billion as drawing for giant prize nears
DES MOINES, Iowa — A $1 billion Powerball jackpot will tempt lottery players Monday night who think they just might hit it rich after three months without a big winner. The jackpot has reached $1 billion, marking the fifth time a Powerball prize has reached that level, game officials said...
Tall Final Four task: Beating reigning champion UConn will not be an easy task in the desert
The 2024 version of March Madness has apexed with a trio of streak busters in the desert. N.C. State is in the Final Four for the first time since Jim Valvano ran around trying to find someone to hug after the 1983 national championship. Purdue and big man Zach Edey...
Late caution gives Denny Hamlin a 2nd chance to beat Joe Gibbs teammate Martin Truex Jr. at Richmond Raceway
RICHMOND, Va. — Denny Hamlin won the race off pit road with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. after a caution with two laps to go and won in overtime at Richmond Raceway on Sunday night. Truex dominated the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series race — he...
A biased test kept thousands of Black people from getting a kidney transplant. It’s finally changing
PHILADELPHIA — Jazmin Evans had been waiting for a new kidney for four years when her hospital revealed shocking news: She should have been put on the transplant list in 2015 instead of 2019 — and a racially biased organ test was to blame. As upsetting as that notification was,...
Millions of recalled Hyundai and Kia vehicles with a dangerous defect remain on the road
DETROIT — In September, Hyundai and Kia issued a recall of 3.4 million of its vehicles in the United States with an ominous warning: The vehicles should be parked outdoors and away from buildings because they risked catching fire, whether the engines were on or off. Six months later, most...
Trump’s immigration rhetoric makes inroads with some Democrats. That could be a concern for Biden
WASHINGTON — The video shared by former President Donald Trump features horror movie music and footage of migrants purportedly entering the U.S. from countries including Cameroon, Afghanistan and China. Shots of men with tattoos and videos of violent crime are set against close-ups of people waving and wrapping themselves in...
Israeli troops withdraw from Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest, after 2-week raid
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s military withdrew from Gaza’s largest hospital early Monday after a two-week raid, in which it said it killed some 200 militants and detained hundreds more. Palestinian residents said the troops left behind several bodies and a vast swath of destruction. The military has described...

