Associated Press stories, Page 694
U.S. weighing options in Africa after Niger junta orders departure from key counterterrorism baseVideo
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is working with Niger officials, seeking a way for U.S. troops to stay in the country — a key base for counterterrorism operations in sub-Saharan Africa — following a weekend directive that they leave. Last week a high level-delegation of U.S. officials, including Assistant Secretary of...
Delectable. Adorable. Inhalable. These sliders go well with March Madness entertaining
Game day is one of my favorite times to entertain. I don’t know why foods associated with watching sports on TV are happy-making. But they are. The food is pretty much what I would categorize as bar food — things you would order with a group of friends with a...
UConn back at No. 1 in AP Top 25 ahead of repeat bid in March Madness
Reigning national champion Connecticut is back at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll a day after being named the top overall seed for the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies moved up from No. 2 in Monday’s poll, trading spots with Houston after the Cougars’ lopsided...
Astronaut Thomas Stafford, commander of Apollo 10, has died at age 93
WASHINGTON — Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup, died Monday. He was 93. Stafford, a retired Air Force three-star general, took part in four space missions. Before Apollo 10, he flew on two Gemini flights,...
Supreme Court seems favorable to Biden administration over efforts to combat social media posts
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Monday to side with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security. The justices seemed broadly skeptical during nearly two hours...
Trump’s lawyers say it is impossible for him to post bond covering $454 million civil fraud judgment
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s lawyers told a New York appellate court Monday that it’s impossible for him to post a bond covering the full amount of a $454 million civil fraud judgment while he appeals, suggesting the former president’s legal losses have put him in a serious cash crunch....
Penn State, James Madison, Villanova and Washington State top seeds in new WBI Tournament
Penn State, James Madison, Villanova and Washington State will play in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament as the No. 1 seeds after just missing the NCAAs. The NCAA is sponsoring this tournament, an equivalent to the men’s NIT. In the past, the secondary women’s tournament was the WNIT and...
How Texas’ plans to arrest migrants for illegal entry would work if allowed to take effect
McALLEN, Texas — Texas’ plan to arrest migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally is on hold while the Supreme Court considers a challenge to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest move over immigration. The nation’s highest court put the law on pause over a lawsuit led by the Justice Department,...
Who is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and why is he running for president?
The lack of excitement many Americans feel about a presidential rematch has heightened interest in alternatives to the major-party candidates, none more so than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose famous name has helped him build buzz for his independent bid. Kennedy is a huge longshot to win Electoral College votes,...
Want to feel special? Stores and restaurants with paid memberships are betting on it
NEW YORK — How much does it cost to feel special? At Chuck E- Cheese, the family entertainment and pizza chain, the price is $7.99, $11.99 or $29.99 per month. At the other end of the spectrum, the founder of a shopping app called Long Story Short wants to charge...
The spring equinox is almost here. What does that mean?
Spring is almost here — officially, at least. The vernal equinox arrives on Tuesday, marking the start of the spring season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean? Here’s what to know about how we split up the year using the Earth’s orbit. What is the equinox?...
Famine is said to be ‘imminent’ in northern Gaza as Israel raids the main hospital again
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Famine is “imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger, according to a report Monday that warned escalation of the war could push half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation. The report, by the international community’s authority on determining...
Putin extends rule in preordained Russian election after harshest crackdown since Soviet era
President Vladimir Putin sealed his control over Russia for six more years on Monday with a predetermined landslide in an election that followed the harshest crackdown on the opposition and free speech since Soviet times. While the result was never in doubt, Russians attempted to defy the inevitable outcome, heeding a...
Trump ramps up dark rhetoric in Ohio stump speech for Senate candidate Bernie MorenoVideo
VANDALIA, Ohio — Former President Donald Trump claimed that he — not President Joe Biden — will protect Social Security and warned of a “bloodbath” if he loses in November as he campaigned for Senate candidate Bernie Moreno in Ohio. Trump, speaking Saturday on a wind-whipped airfield outside of Dayton,...
Man accused of killing family members in Pennsylvania facing charges in 2 states
LEVITTOWN — A man faces murder charges in Pennsylvania and carjacking and weapons charges in New Jersey after allegedly killing three family members, carjacking vehicles in both states and evading law enforcement for hours as police mobilized in two states, authorities said Sunday. Andre Gordon Jr., 26, is charged in...
South Carolina, Iowa, USC, Texas top seeds for women’s NCAA Tournament
Undefeated South Carolina is the top overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks are looking to become the 10th women’s basketball team to go undefeated for an entire season. They had a chance last season before falling just short against Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Final Four....
Denny Hamlin wins tire-management NASCAR race at Bristol, his 4th victory at the famed bullringVideo
Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, passing Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. in the final laps for his fourth victory at the famed short track. Hamlin also won at NASCAR’s bullring last September. This one was much different. Tire issues...
Putin is poised to extend his rule in highly orchestrated vote even as Russians quietly protestVideo
Russians crowded outside polling stations at noon Sunday on the last day of a presidential election, apparently heeding an opposition call to protest against President Vladimir Putin in a vote that offered them no real alternatives after he ruthlessly cracked down on dissent. Shortly after the last polls closed in...
UConn, Purdue, Houston, North Carolina receive top seeds for NCAA Tournament
Defending champion Connecticut, along with Houston, Purdue and North Carolina, are the top seeds in a March Madness bracket that started going haywire even before the pairings came out Sunday. Of the four top seeds, only UConn heads into the tournament coming off a win. That played into the Huskies...
Scheffler goes back-to-back in Players Championship in Sunday thriller at SawgrassVideo
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Already the best in the world, Scottie Scheffler added another layer to his legend Sunday. He became the first player to win back-to-back in 50 years of The Players Championship by matching the biggest comeback and the lowest closing round by a winner. Scheffler holed...
Terrence Shannon scores 34 points as No. 13 Illinois beats Wisconsin for Big Ten title
MINNEAPOLIS — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 34 points on 15-for-17 shooting from the free-throw line, helping 13th-ranked Illinois past Wisconsin, 93-87, in Big Ten Tournament championship game on Sunday. Marcus Domask added 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Dain Dainja had nine points and seven rebounds for the...
Florida center Micah Handlogten stretchered off court early at the SEC final with broken left leg
NASHVILLE — Florida center Micah Handlogten broke his lower left leg in the opening minutes of the Southeastern Conference Tournament final Sunday and was taken off the court on a stretcher to a hospital. Coach Todd Golden said he feels for Handlogten after the Gators lost 86-67 to No. 12...
No. 12 Auburn goes wire-to-wire to beat Florida for SEC Tournament title
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Johni Broome scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 12 Auburn won the Tigers’ third SEC Tournament championship by beating Florida, 86-67, on Sunday in a game marred by a gruesome injury to Gators center Micah Handlogten. The Tigers (27-7) avoided the upset bug that...
‘There’s no agenda here’: A look at the judge who is overseeing Trump’s hush money trial
NEW YORK — Judge Juan M. Merchan looked across his high-ceilinged courtroom, facing the defendant in a complicated case. Not the one everyone knows about. Yes, Merchan could become the first judge ever to oversee a former U.S. president’s criminal trial: Donald Trump’s hush money case. But on a recent...
Man faces charges in two states after alleged killings of family members in Pennsylvania
LEVITTOWN, Pa. — A man faces murder charges in Pennsylvania and carjacking and weapons charges in New Jersey after allegedly killing three family members, carjacking vehicles in both states and evading law enforcement for hours as police mobilized in two states, authorities said Sunday. Andre Gordon Jr., 26, is charged...
