Associated Press stories, Page 1291
New Twitter policy aims to pierce fog of war misinformation
SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter is stepping up its fight against misinformation with a new policy cracking down on posts that spread potentially dangerous false stories. The change is part of a broader effort to promote accurate information during times of conflict or crisis. Starting Thursday, the platform will no longer...
Mysterious hepatitis cases in kids keep climbing as scientists search for a cause
MIAMI — No unusual cases of severe hepatitis among children have been confirmed in Florida despite a global rise in cases and an ongoing investigation into what’s causing the outbreak, which has affected more than 500 kids worldwide, including more than 150 in the United States. Doctors and public health...
Abortion-friendly states prep for more patients if Roe falls
JACKSON, Miss. — Leaders of a Tennessee abortion clinic calculated driving distances and studied passenger rail routes as they scanned the map for another place to offer services if the Supreme Court lets states restrict or eliminate abortion rights. They chose Carbondale in Illinois — a state that has easy...
With sequel plans, Rob Reiner turns ‘Spinal Tap’ up to 11
CANNES, France — One of the most memorable lines — and Rob Reiner’s personal favorite — of “This Is Spinal Tap” goes: “There’s a fine line between stupid and clever.” You could say the same thing about the classic 1984 mockumentary. It could have so easily not panned out. No...
Home sales tumble again as mortgage rates surge
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed for the third consecutive month in April as mortgage rates surged, driving up borrowing costs for would-be buyers as home prices soared to new highs. Existing home sales fell 2.4% last month from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.61 million,...
Germany’s Schroeder loses office amid anger over Russia ties
BERLIN — German lawmakers agreed Thursday to strip former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of his office and staff after he maintained and defended his long-standing ties with Russia and its energy sector despite the invasion of Ukraine. Sven Kindler, a financial policy spokesman for the Greens, one of the governing parties,...
Ukrainian troops surrendering at Mariupol registered as POWs
KYIV, Ukraine — Hundreds more Ukrainian fighters who made their stand inside Mariupol’s bombed-out steel plant surrendered, bringing the total to over 1,700, Russia said Thursday, amid international fears about the fate of the prisoners in Moscow’s hands. The Red Cross worked to register the soldiers as prisoners of war...
Fed nominee Michael Barr calls inflation ‘far too high’
WASHINGTON — Michael Barr, President Joe Biden’s pick to be the Federal Reserve’s top banking regulator, pledged Thursday to help reduce high inflation and provide “clear rules” to govern financial innovation. “I would be strongly committed to bringing down inflation to the Federal Reserve’s target” of 2%, Barr said in...
FDA head: Baby formula factory could reopen by next week
WASHINGTON — The head of the Food and Drug Administration told lawmakers Thursday that a shuttered baby formula factory could be up and running as soon as next week, though he sidestepped questions about whether his agency should have intervened earlier at the plant at the center of the national...
Turkey’s leader says ‘no’ to Sweden and Finland’s NATO bid
ISTANBUL — Turkey will oppose Sweden and Finland joining NATO, the country’s president flatly stated in a video released Thursday, as Turkish officials emphasized Ankara’s security concerns. “We have told our relevant friends we would say ‘no’ to Finland and Sweden’s entry into NATO, and we will continue on our...
Wall Street edges lower, stabilizing a day after big drop
NEW YORK — Another volatile day on Wall Street ended with more losses for stocks Thursday, drawing the S&P 500 closer to its first bear market since the beginning of the pandemic. The index, a benchmark for many funds, fell 0.6% after easing off a deeper stumble. The latest decline...
McDonald’s finds a buyer for Russian restaurants
McDonald’s has begun the sale of its restaurants in Russia 30 years after the burger chain became a powerful symbol of easing of Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union. The Chicago burger giant said its existing licensee Alexander Govor, who operates 25 restaurants in Siberia, has...
Another Triple Crown long shot? Fenwick is 50-1 in Preakness
BALTIMORE — Rich Strike winning the Kentucky Derby at 80-1 may not be the only big upset this Triple Crown season. Not if Fenwick has anything to do about it. Two weeks after Rich Strike became the second-biggest long shot to win the Derby, Fenwick could join him in the...
Germany: 1 person wounded, 1 detained in school attack
BERLIN — German police said they detained a suspect following an attack at a high school in the northern city of Bremerhaven on Thursday morning in which a school employee was wounded. Police said the incident happened at the Lloyd high school in the center of the city, which is...
U.S. case of monkeypox reported in Massachusetts man
NEW YORK — Massachusetts on Wednesday reported a rare case of monkeypox in a man who recently traveled to Canada, and health officials are looking into whether it is connected to small outbreaks in Europe. Monkeypox is typically limited to Africa, and rare cases in the United States and elsewhere...
President Biden invokes Defense Production Act for formula shortage
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production of infant formula and authorized flights to import supply from overseas, as he faces mounting political pressure over a domestic shortage caused by the safety-related closure of the country’s largest formula manufacturing plant. The Defense...
Bryson DeChambeau withdraws from PGA after testing repaired wristVideo
TULSA, Okla. — Bryson DeChambeau withdrew from the PGA Championship on Wednesday after practicing for two days at Southern Hills to test his surgically repaired left wrist. The former U.S. Open champion practiced with a wrap that extended several inches up his left forearm. He tweeted Tuesday it had “held...
Teen dies, sister rescued in New Jersey beach sand collapseVideo
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — An 18-year-old male died while playing with his sister at a New Jersey beach when a large hole they were digging in the sand collapsed, police said. His sister was also trapped but was rescued and treated at the scene, the Toms River Police Department said...
Pac-12 scraps divisions moments after NCAA paves way; Big Ten, SEC, ACC considering changesVideo
Moments after the NCAA Division I Council tossed out requirements that dictate how football conferences can determine a champion, the Pac-12 announced Wednesday was scrapping its divisional format for the coming season. The Pac-12 now will match the teams with the highest conference winning percentages in its title game after...
DHS warns abortion ruling could increase extremist violence
WASHINGTON — The leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion striking down the constitutional right to abortion has unleashed a wave of threats against officials and others and increased the likelihood of extremist violence, an internal government report says. Violence could come from either side of the abortion issue or...
Black club pro hopes to thrive, inspire at PGA ChampionshipVideo
TULSA, Okla. — The numbers are not in his favor at Southern Hills, which is nothing Wyatt Worthington II hasn’t faced before. Worthington, who spends his working hours giving lessons at The Golf Depot in central Ohio, is among the 20 club professionals who qualified for the PGA Championship. In...
Stocks fall sharply as Target’s woes renew inflation fears
NEW YORK — The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 1,100 points and the S&P 500 had its biggest drop in nearly two years Wednesday, as big earnings misses by Target and other major retailers stoked investors’ fears that surging inflation could cut deeply into corporate profits. The broad...
Spieth among PGA favorites in quest for career Grand SlamVideo
TULSA, Okla. — Not long ago, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Jordan Spieth would capture golf’s career Grand Slam. Even more recently, it seemed as if he might never contend again. After scorching a Tiger-esque path through his first three years as a pro, including triumphs at the Masters...
No more streaming-only debuts for Oscar hopefuls
The Oscars are getting back to normal, eligibility-wise. After two years of pandemic-related adjustments, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that Oscar hopefuls will once again have to launch their films in movie theaters. Qualifying films are allowed to premiere “day and date” in movie theaters...
Global pollution kills 9 million people a year, study findsVideo
A new study blames pollution of all types for 9 million deaths a year globally, with the death toll attributed to dirty air from cars, trucks and industry rising 55% since 2000. That increase is offset by fewer pollution deaths from primitive indoor stoves and water contaminated with human and...
