Associated Press stories, Page 916
In a last-ditch effort, longtime Southern Baptist churches expelled for women pastors fight to stayVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The robed choir performed a rousing missionary chorus, the worshippers sang from the Baptist Hymnal, and the pastor preached on the need to listen to God before inviting people to come forward and profess faith in Jesus. If there was ever a blueprint for a traditional Southern...
Smokestack implosion at defunct Detroit trash incinerator ends decades of stink
DETROIT — In a boom, a low rumble and a vibrating crash, the looming smokestack of a shuttered trash incinerator whose stench sickened and angered Detroit residents for decades came down in a controlled implosion Sunday morning. Reducing the smokestack to rubble is almost the final phase in the facility’s...
Federal regulators promise safety review at all the major freight railroads
OMAHA, Neb. — The Federal Railroad Administration recently completed a review of Norfolk Southern’s safety culture in the wake of the February’s fiery derailment in Ohio, and officials plan to follow up with similar investigations of all the major freight railroads over the next year. A report will be released...
American musician arrested in Moscow on drugs suspicion
MOSCOW — An American musician who has lived in Russia for more than a decade has been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking, Russian news media reported Saturday. The reports said Michael Travis Leake is suspected of selling mephedrone, whose effects are similar to those of cocaine and MDMA. A...
Join the military, become a U.S. citizen: Uncle Sam wants you and vous and tu
WASHINGTON — When Esmita Spudes Bidari was a young girl in Nepal, she dreamed of being in the military, but that wasn’t a real option in her country. Last week, she raised her right hand and took the oath to join the U.S. Army Reserves, thanks in part to a...
Conor McGregor knocks out Heat mascot in bizarre promotion at NBA Finals
MIAMI — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong. Burnie — more specifically, the man who occupies Burnie’s costume — briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4...
U.S. confirms China has had spy base in Cuba since at least 2019
WASHINGTON — China has been operating a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, part of a global effort by Beijing to upgrade its intelligence-gathering capabilities, according to a Biden administration official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said...
Arcangelo wins Belmont Stakes to make Jena Antonucci 1st female trainer to win the raceVideo
NEW YORK — Arcangelo took the lead at the top of the stretch and won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, making Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win the race in its 155 years. After the horse crossed the finish line, Antonucci doubled over and rested her arm and...
Chase Elliott’s return highlights NASCAR Cup racers’ stop at Sonoma road courseVideo
SONOMA, Calif. — Chase Elliott is back from his suspension with a chance to get right back in the win column. The NASCAR Cup Series’ most popular driver excels on road courses such as Sonoma Raceway, where he has four career top-10 finishes. Elliott has the skills to take on...
Nuggets showing plenty of poise in these NBA Finals against HeatVideo
MIAMI — The Denver Nuggets act like they have been here before. There is an unmistakable poise to the Nuggets, who are only one win away from their first NBA championship and could hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy as early as Monday night when the finals return to Denver for...
U.S. Open in L.A. nearly afterthought with Saudi, PGA Tour deal
LOS ANGELES — The toughest test in golf takes on several meanings for this U.S. Open. Tough usually starts with the golf course, and the North course at Los Angeles Country Club figures to be every bit of that, even if it’s a mystery to most. It has never hosted...
Ohtani struggles on mound, with 4.88 ERA in last 8 startsVideo
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Dominant on the mound for much of the past three seasons, Shohei Ohtani has struggled over the last six weeks. The two-way Japanese star is 2-2 with a 4.88 ERA in his last eight starts. He has allowed at least three runs in all but two of...
Facts and figures from the 1st U.S. Open in LA in 75 years
LOS ANGELES — A brief look at the 123rd U.S. Open, the first time in 75 years it goes to Los Angeles: Dates: June 15-18. Site: The Los Angeles Country Club (North). Length: 7,421 yards. Par: 70. Cut: Top 60 and ties. Playoff (if necessary): Two-hole aggregate immediately after 72...
Iga Swiatek tops Karolina Muchova in the French Open final for her 3rd trophy in Paris, 4th SlamVideo
PARIS — Iga Swiatek suddenly seemed lost in the French Open final. Her strokes were awry. Her confidence was gone. Her big early lead vanished, too. She kept looking up into the stands, seeking guidance from her coach and her sports psychologist. So much was amiss right up until she...
Biden marks LGBTQ+ Pride Month with celebration on White House South Lawn
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden welcomed hundreds to the White House on Saturday for a delayed Pride Month celebration aimed at showing LGBTQ+ people that his administration has their back at a time when advocates are warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping...
Heavy rains in northwest Pakistan leave 20 dead, 80 injured
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Heavy rains swept through Pakistan’s northwest on Saturday, causing several houses to collapse and leaving at least 20 people dead and 80 injured, authorities said. Rains and hail hit the Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Karak districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, senior rescue officer Khateer Ahmed said, uprooting...
‘Unabomber’ Ted Kaczynski found dead in prison cell
WASHINGTON — Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, the Harvard-educated mathematician who retreated to a dingy shack in the Montana wilderness and ran a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others, died Saturday. He was 81. Branded the “Unabomber” by the FBI, Kaczynski died at the federal prison medical...
Trump’s GOP defenders in Congress leap into action on charges after months of preparation
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump’s indictment on charges of mishandling classified documents is set to play out in a federal court in Florida. But about a thousand miles away, part of Trump’s defense is well underway in a different venue — the halls of Congress, where Republicans have been...
Trump blasts federal indictment as ‘baseless’ at first events since charges were unsealed
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Former President Donald Trump blasted his historic federal indictment as “ridiculous” and “baseless” Saturday during his first public appearances since the charges were unsealed, painting the 37 felony counts as an attack on his supporters as he tried to turn dire legal peril to political advantage and...
Man who told jurors he had ‘fun’ at the Capitol riot sentenced to 6 years in prison
WASHINGTON — A Virginia man who told his wife — and a federal jury — that he had “fun” at the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced Friday to six years in prison for attacking police as he stormed the building. Markus Maly’s prison sentence is significantly lower than the punishment...
One of the 2 giant ducks in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor deflates
HONG KONG — One of the two giant inflatable ducks floating in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor deflated on Saturday, just a day after they were unveiled to revelers. Crowds of residents and tourists flocked in the scorching heat to the promenade near the government headquarters in Admiralty to snap photos...
5 killed in explosion at rocket and explosives factory in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey — An explosion at a rocket and explosives plant in Turkey caused a building to collapse on Saturday, killing all five workers inside, an official said. The explosion occurred at around 8:45 a.m. at the compound of the state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation, on the outskirts of...
On doctor’s advice, Pope Francis to skip Sunday public blessing
ROME — Pope Francis, “wisely” following doctors’ advice, will skip Sunday’s customary public blessing to allow him to better heal after abdominal surgery earlier this week, his surgeon told reporters. Blood and imaging tests indicate that the 86-year-old pope’s recovery is proceeding in an “absolutely normal” manner, Sergio Alfieri, who...
Nuggets now in full command of NBA Finals, top Heat for 3-1 lead
MIAMI — Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Nikola Jokic added 23 and the Denver Nuggets moved one win away from their first NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat, 108-95, on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the title series. Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for...
UN peacekeeper killed, 8 seriously injured in northern Mali attack
UNITED NATIONS — Attackers killed one U.N. peacekeeper and seriously injured eight others Friday in Mali’s northern Timbuktu region, an area where extremists continue to operate, the United Nations said. The peacekeepers, all from Burkina Faso, were part of a security patrol that was targeted first by an improvised explosive...
