Associated Press stories, Page 1271
No, you’re not imagining it — package sizes are shrinking
It’s the inflation you’re not supposed to see. From toilet paper to yogurt and coffee to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It’s dubbed “shrinkflation,” and it’s accelerating worldwide. In the U.S., a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues; a few months ago,...
Saudi-funded golf series puts new scrutiny on MickelsonVideo
ST. ALBANS, England — Out of public view for four months, Phil Mickelson returns to golf under severe scrutiny because of where he’s playing and who is paying him. Mickelson is a six-time major champion, the most popular golfer this side of Tiger Woods. And now he is being referred...
Trump set to undergo questioning in July in NY civil probe
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump, his namesake son and his daughter Ivanka have agreed to answer questions under oath next month in the New York attorney general’s civil investigation into his business practices, unless their lawyers persuade the state’s highest court to step in. A Manhattan judge signed...
Bengals wideouts confident of encore after Super Bowl run
CINCINNATI — The confidence of the Cincinnati Bengals receivers was super-charged by their improbable run to the Super Bowl last season, and it’s carried right into voluntary offseason workouts. Last year Ja’Marr Chase overcame some early concerns about drops to break the single-season franchise receiving record with 1,455 yards and...
AEW continues to thrive after celebrating 3rd anniversary
LOS ANGELES — All Elite Wrestling continues to thrive with compelling matches while attracting new fans three years after making its debut. The upstart professional wrestling circuit kicked off a busy summer schedule by returning to Las Vegas for its “Double or Nothing” pay-per-view for the first time since its...
High prices, low inventory, a new norm for car shoppers
Shopping for a new or used car over the last couple of years has become a more challenging endeavor. Because of the covid-19 pandemic and its after-effects, we’ve had to deal with factory closures, supply chain issues, a worldwide shortage of semiconductor chips, vehicle shortages, price hikes on dealer lots...
Foo Fighters plan 2 tribute concerts for Taylor Hawkins
NEW YORK — Foo Fighters will honor the rock band’s late drummer Taylor Hawkins with a pair of tribute concerts in September — one in London and the other in Los Angeles. The twin shows will take place Sept. 3 at London’s Wembley Stadium and Sept. 27 at The Kia...
Iconic rockers Blondie to issue 1st box set this summer
NEW YORK — Blondie has figured out where to put their heart of glass — a big ‘ol box. The iconic rockers said Wednesday they will release their first authorized collection in their 50-year history, a huge box set that includes 124 tracks, 36 of which were never issued. “Blondie:...
Off-grid living beckons more than just hardy pioneer types
Living off-grid conjures images of survivalists in remote places and a rustic, “Little House on the Prairie” lifestyle with chores from morning to night. Yet only a tiny fraction of people living off-grid do it like that, and fewer still live more than an hour from any town. “Living off-grid...
Train derailment in east Iran kills at least 21, injures 87
TEHRAN, Iran — A passenger train traveling through eastern Iran struck an excavator and nearly half its cars derailed before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring 87, officials said. The derailment near the desert city of Tabas was the latest disaster to strike the Islamic Republic...
More bodies found in Mariupol as global food crisis looms
BAKHMUT, Ukraine — Workers pulled scores of bodies from smashed buildings in an “endless caravan of death” inside the devastated city of Mariupol, authorities said Wednesday, while fears of a global food crisis escalated over Ukraine’s inability to export millions of tons of grain through its blockaded ports. At the...
1 dead, 9 injured after driver hits school group in Berlin
BERLIN — A man drove a car into a German school group in a popular Berlin shopping district Wednesday, killing a teacher and seriously injuring nine people, authorities said. He was quickly arrested. The man drove into people on a street corner around 10:30 a.m., got the car back on...
Brees won’t return for NBC’s NFL and Notre Dame coverage
Drew Brees is officially done at NBC Sports after one year. NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a phone interview with The Associated Press that Brees will not be a part of the network’s NFL and Notre Dame coverage this year. The New York Post reported last month that...
Walmart heir Rob Walton agrees to buy Broncos in record deal
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Walton family has won the bidding to purchase the Denver Broncos in the most expensive deal for a sports franchise anywhere in the world. The Broncos announced late Tuesday night they had entered into a sale agreement with the Walton-Penner ownership group led by Walmart heir...
Simone Biles, others seek $1B-plus from FBI over Nassar
DETROIT — Former Olympic gymnasts, including gold medalist Simone Biles, are among dozens of assault victims who are seeking more than $1 billion from the FBI for failing to stop sports doctor Larry Nassar, lawyers said Wednesday. There’s no dispute that FBI agents in 2015 knew that Nassar was accused...
Moderna says updated covid shot boosts omicron protection
Moderna’s experimental covid-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection against the omicron variant appears to work, the company announced Wednesday. covid-19 vaccine makers are studying updated boosters that might be offered in the fall to better protect people against future coronavirus surges. Moderna’s preliminary study results show people...
Jim Seals of ’70s group Seals and Crofts dies at age 80
NEW YORK — Jim Seals, who teamed with fellow musician “Dash” Crofts on such 1970s soft-rock hits as “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl” and “We May Never Pass This Way Again,” has died at age 80. His death was announced Tuesday by several people including John Ford Coley, who had formed...
Lightning beat Rangers in Game 4 to even East final
TAMPA, Fla. — Nikita Kucherov scored on a breakaway and Andrei Vasilevskiy had 33 saves Tuesday night, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning shut down the New York Rangers 4-1 and even the NHL’s Eastern Conference final at two games apiece. Kucherov took a pass from Ondrej Palat in the middle...
Mississippi lawmaker with ethics woes forced into GOP runoff
LOS ANGELES — U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi advanced to a Republican runoff Tuesday after a congressional ethics watchdog raised questions about his campaign spending and he faced his largest-ever field of primary challengers. In heavily Democratic California, Republican House members faced primary rivals in races that will help...
Reality stars Todd, Julie Chrisley found guilty on federal charges
ATLANTA — Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality television show “Chrisley Knows Best,” were found guilty Tuesday in Atlanta on federal charges including bank fraud and tax evasion. The Chrisleys were initially indicted in August 2019 and a new indictment was filed in February of this year. Their...
Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg to make season debut Thursday
MIAMI — Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg is scheduled to make his season debut against the Miami Marlins on Thursday. The 33-year-old has been sidelined for most of the past two seasons. He underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome last summer and has not pitched since June 1, 2021. A...
Cam Newton on podcast: ‘There’s not 32 guys better than me’
Cam Newton still considers himself one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the NFL. But Newton, who remains an unrestricted free agent while mandatory minicamps begin around the league, said people’s perception of him has changed largely because he put himself in bad situations the past two years with the...
FBI seizes retired general’s data related to Qatar lobbying
The FBI has seized the electronic data of a retired four-star general who authorities say made false statements and withheld “incriminating” documents about his role in an illegal foreign lobbying campaign on behalf of the wealthy Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. New federal court filings obtained Tuesday outlined a potential...
Raiders coach Josh McDaniels remains patient as Derek Carr, offense learn new systemVideo
HENDERSON, Nev. — First-year Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels knows patience is the most important thing for him and his staff right now. Especially with a ninth-year veteran leading a retooled offense. “Our system is different than anything I’ve been in before,” quarterback Derek Carr said Tuesday after the...
Public water utilities say Senate bill will force up rates
HARRISBURG — Legislation criticized by opponents as a vehicle for-profit water companies to take over municipal water authorities in Pennsylvania by imposing expensive regulations on them passed the Republican-controlled state Senate on Tuesday. Opponents also warned that the bill will precipitate ratepayer increases when water authorities must meet the new...

