Associated Press stories, Page 982
Italian ex-leader Berlusconi hospitalized in ICU, but alert
ROME — Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was hospitalized Wednesday in intensive care because of a problem related to a previous infection, but was alert and speaking, Italy’s foreign minister said. The 86-year-old three-time premier was in the ICU at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital, the clinic where he routinely receives...
Zelenskyy visit tightens bonds with Poland amid Russian war
WARSAW, Poland — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy won new pledges of deeper military and economic cooperation on a state visit to Poland on Wednesday as the neighbors sought to forge a tighter relationship in defiance of Russia’s full-scale war against Kyiv that has reshaped international alliances. Polish President Andrzej Duda...
A duo once more, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon come up for ‘Air’
NEW YORK — While Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were writing “The Last Duel,” their first screenplay together since their 1997 breakthrough, “Good Will Hunting,” they noticed that something in their winding and usually separate careers had been missing. “I remember my wife said to me one day: ‘I haven’t...
UBS confident about Credit Suisse deal despite ‘huge’ risk
GENEVA — The UBS chairman voiced confidence Wednesday that the Swiss bank will succeed in a government-engineered takeover of hobbled rival Credit Suisse, pledging the deal will reduce costs, benefit shareholders and buttress Swiss finance despite “huge” risks in knitting the global lenders together. Speaking to UBS shareholders, Colm Kelleher...
French prime minister, unions meeting fails ahead of pension protests
PARIS — French trade union leaders walked out of talks with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Wednesday after failing to find a compromise on the contentious plan to raise the country’s legal retirement age from 62 to 64 years. The heads of France’s major unions, who want the withdrawal of...
Party switch gives GOP veto-proof control in North Carolina
RALEIGH — A Democratic state lawmaker in North Carolina announced Wednesday that she is jumping to the Republican Party, giving the GOP veto-proof majorities in both the state’s legislative chambers that should make it easier to enact conservative policies over the opposition of Gov. Roy Cooper. Whether the switch by...
To counter China, U.S. trade rep seeks closer ties to allies
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is pressing its case for a new approach to global trade, arguing that America’s traditional reliance on promoting free trade pacts failed to anticipate China’s brass-knuckled brand of capitalism and the possibility a major power like Russia would go to war against one of its...
Robotaxis aim to take San Francisco on ride into the future
SAN FRANCISCO — Two trailblazing ride-hailing services are heading toward uncharted territory as they seek regulatory approval to transport passengers around the clock throughout one of the most densely populated U.S. cities in vehicles that will have no one sitting in the driver’s seat. If Cruise, a subsidiary of General...
Stormy Daniels must pay $122,000 in Trump legal bills
LOS ANGELES — Stormy Daniels must pay nearly $122,000 of Donald Trump’s legal fees that were racked up in connection with the porn actor’s failed defamation lawsuit, an appeals court ruled Tuesday. The decision in California came at about the same time that that Trump became the only ex-president to...
Paying for paradise? Hawaii mulls fees for ecotourism crush
HONOLULU — Repairing coral reefs after boats run aground. Shielding native forest trees from a killer fungus outbreak. Patrolling waters for swimmers harassing dolphins and turtles. Taking care of Hawaii’s unique natural environment takes time, people and money. Now Hawaii wants tourists to help pay for it, especially because growing...
Cities will get nearly $200M in grants for pipeline upgrades
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Federal officials announced the first $196 million of grants Wednesday in a $1 billion program to repair and replace aging and sometimes leaking natural gas pipelines across the country. The Transportation Department and its Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced that the city of Las...
Brandon Johnson elected Chicago mayor in victory for progressives
CHICAGO — Brandon Johnson, a union organizer and former teacher, was elected Chicago mayor on Tuesday, a major victory for the party’s progressive wing as the nation’s third-largest city grapples with high crime and financial challenges. Johnson, a Cook County commissioner endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, won a close...
Dangerous severe storms again hitting Midwest, SouthVideo
DES MOINES, Iowa — People still sorting through the wreckage of their homes after deadly weather hit over the weekend braced for another wave of strong storms, including tornadoes, that began rolling into parts of the Midwest and South beginning Tuesday evening. Officials warned residents to have shelter ready before...
Janet Protasiewicz wins Wisconsin court seat ahead of abortion ruling
MADISON — A Democratic-backed Milwaukee judge won the high stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race Tuesday, ensuring liberals will take over majority control of the court for the first time in 15 years with the fate of the state’s abortion ban on the line. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz, 60,...
Reports: Former Arizona Cardinals executive accuses owner of cheatingVideo
TEMPE, Ariz. — Former Arizona Cardinals front office executive Terry McDonough filed an arbitration claim against the team that accuses owner Michael Bidwill of cheating, according to multiple reports. The NFL confirmed receipt of the filing Tuesday but did not disclose its contents. McDonough claims he was eventually demoted after...
At a glance: The 3 hush money cases in Trump indictmentVideo
The criminal charges that Donald Trump is now facing in New York stem from three separate instances in which the former president and his associates are accused of making hush money payments during his 2016 campaign: to two women to suppress information about extramarital sexual encounters they said they had...
AP exclusive: MLB average salary up 11% year after lockoutVideo
NEW YORK — A year removed from a labor lockout that postponed Opening Day, major league players are enjoying their biggest salary spike in more than two decades. The average MLB salary was up 11.1% to a record $4.9 million to start this season, the largest jump for the sport...
Woods and his limp back at Masters, but for how much longer?Video
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods is back at the Masters, along with his slight limp. It is not every step, every minute. But it is there. And as much hardware as he has in his mended right leg, the limp figures to be with him for as long as he...
Student aid startup founder arrested on fraud charges
NEW YORK — The founder of Frank, a student loan assistance startup company that J.P. Morgan Chase acquired for $175 million two years ago, has been arrested on charges that she duped the financial giant by dramatically inflating the number of customers her company had, authorities said Tuesday. Charlie Javice,...
Handful of NHL contenders thrive following major injuriesVideo
Mark Stone missing two months and counting after back surgery threatened to sink the Vegas Golden Knights. Instead, they have risen to the top of the Western Conference. Losing Kirill Kaprizov for several weeks looked like a big blow to the Minnesota Wild. They since have moved into first place...
Browns WR Woods ruptures Achilles tendon during workoutVideo
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns second-year wide receiver Michael Woods II likely will miss the entire 2023 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon while working out with quarterback Deshaun Watson in Texas. A sixth-round draft pick last year, Woods got hurt Monday while catching passes from Watson. A team spokesperson said...
Jon Rahm looks to regain momentum at Masters after rough March
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Jon Rahm looked nearly unbeatable just a month ago. Now, the world’s No. 3-ranked player suddenly finds himself looking for a way to regain his top form this week at the Masters. After winning three tournaments in a six-week span culminating in a two-shot victory over Max...
Darius Miles pleads not guilty to capital murder chargeVideo
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A former Alabama basketball player pleaded not guilty to a capital murder charge filed against him after he was accused of providing the gun used in a fatal shooting near campus. Darius Miles, 21, of Washington, D.C., entered the plea Monday, according to court documents. Miles, a...
Women run the fictional world of ABC’s ‘General Hospital’Video
As “General Hospital” marks its 60th anniversary, much remains the same for the longest-running scripted series in production in the United States. A hospital is still the backdrop for the soap opera, many of the veteran characters remain, the wealthy Quatermaine family looms large and the stories are about love,...
Rory McIlroy returns to Masters in search of green jacket
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy has had plenty of memorable moments on the back nine on Sunday, but two of the best have had nothing to do with the four-time major champion holding up a trophy at the end. One came in 2018, when McIlroy was paired with Tiger Woods...
