Associated Press stories, Page 1298
Matthews, McDavid, Shesterkin are finalists for Hart Trophy
NEW YORK — Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid are two of the finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, the NHL’s most valuable player award. New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is also in contention for the prize awarded “to the player adjudged to...
Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike not running in Preakness
Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will not run in the Preakness. Owner Rich Dawson made the stunning announcement Thursday, 10 days before the race in Maryland. It means there will not be a Triple Crown winner for a fourth consecutive year. Dawson said he and trainer Eric Reed agreed to...
Summer Movie Calendar: From ‘Top Gun 2’ to ‘Thor 4’ and more
A rundown of notable films coming out this summer: May 6 “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (Disney, theaters): After breaking open the multiverse in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Benedict Cumberbatch once again takes center stage as the brilliant Doctor Strange as he and Wong deal with new enemies...
Spain debates if menstrual leave policy will help or hurt
MADRID — A government proposal that could make Spain the first country in Europe to allow workers to take menstrual leave has sparked debate over whether the policy would help or hinder women in the workplace. A leaked draft of new legislation that the Spanish Cabinet is expected to discuss...
Jake Corman drops out of Pa. governor’s race, backs Barletta as primary nears
HARRISBURG — Jake Corman, Pennsylvania’s ranking state senator and a Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor said Thursday that he was ending his campaign and endorsing rival Lou Barletta, a move that comes as GOP leaders warn that leading candidate Doug Mastriano is too far right to win in a general...
Georgia man challenges eligibility of 13,600 voters
CUMMING, Ga. — A Georgia man is challenging the eligibility of more than 13,000 registered voters in his county in the northern part of the state. Frank Schneider filed the challenge Tuesday with the Forsyth County Board of Voter Registration and Elections, which will consider it during their regularly scheduled...
Russia blasts east Ukraine, Mariupol
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces pounded areas in Ukraine’s east on Thursday, including the last pocket of resistance in besieged Mariupol. Even as the globe-shaking repercussions of the invasion spread, the conflict on the ground slogged on, with Ukraine’s military recapturing some towns and villages in the country’s northeast but...
EU plan aims to help get wheat from Ukraine to the world
BRUSSELS — The European Commission proposed helping Ukraine export its wheat and other grains by rail, road and river to get around a Russian blockade of Black Sea ports, which is preventing those critical supplies from reaching parts of the world at risk of food insecurity. The European Union’s executive...
Biden urges world to renew covid fight as U.S. nears 1M deaths
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden appealed to world leaders on Thursday for a renewed international commitment to attacking covid-19 as he led the U.S. in marking the approaching “tragic milestone” of 1 million deaths at home from the virus. He ordered flags lowered to half-staff and warned against “complacency” around...
Several feared dead after chemical plant blast in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — An explosion and fire at a chemical plant in southeast Slovenia has left at least four people missing and feared dead, officials said Thursday. Emergency officials said another two people were hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns after the blast, which was reported around 8.30 a.m....
Palestinians mourn slain Al Jazeera journalist, blame Israel
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Thousands gathered to mourn a slain Al Jazeera journalist in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, as the head of the Palestinian Authority blamed Israel for her death and rejected Israeli calls for a joint investigation. Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American reporter who...
Mercedes recalls 292K vehicles to fix problem with brakes
DETROIT — Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 292,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix a problem that could cause the brakes to fail or perform poorly. The recall covers certain ML, GL and R-Class vehicles from the 2006 through 2012 model years. Mercedes says in documents posted Thursday by the...
Astronomers capture 1st image of Milky Way’s huge black hole
WASHINGTON — The world’s first image of the chaotic supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy doesn’t portray a voracious cosmic destroyer but what astronomers Thursday called a “gentle giant” on a near-starvation diet. Astronomers believe nearly all galaxies, including our own, have these giant black...
South African firm says it may close its covid vaccine plant
JOHANNESBURG — The first factory to produce covid-19 vaccines in Africa says it has not received enough orders and may stop production within weeks, in what a senior World Health Organization official described Thursday as a “failure” in efforts to achieve vaccine equity. South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare said that it...
No more murder charge for women in Louisiana abortion bill
NEW ORLEANS — The sponsor of a bill that would have subjected Louisiana women to murder charges for having abortions abruptly pulled the proposal from debate Thursday night after House members voted 65-26 to totally revamp the legislation, eliminating the criminal penalties. The controversial bill would have ventured farther against...
Finland moves toward joining NATO amid Russia threats
HELSINKI — Finland’s leaders Thursday came out in favor of applying to join NATO, and Sweden could do the same within days, in a historic realignment on the continent 2½ months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow’s neighbors. The Kremlin reacted...
Coinbase loses half its value in a week as crypto slumps
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Cryptocurrency trading platform Coinbase has lost half its value in the past week, including its biggest one-day drop 5o date on Wednesday as the famously volatile crypto market weathers yet another slump. Coinbase reported a $430 million net loss in the first quarter, or $1.98 per...
ACC mulling division-free football scheduling model by 2023
The Atlantic Coast Conference is mulling a change to its football scheduling model that could include the elimination of divisions by 2023. Discussions are taking place among league schools during the ACC’s annual spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla. Commissioner Jim Phillips told reporters there Wednesday that the league also...
North Korea raises alarm after confirming 1st covid-19 case
North Korea announced its first coronavirus infection more than two years into the pandemic Thursday as leader Kim Jong Un called for raising covid-19 preventive measures to maximum levels. The Korean Central News Agency said tests from an unspecified number of people in the capital Pyongyang confirmed they were infected...
Brewers’ Christian Yelich hits for record-tying 3rd cycle in loss to RedsVideo
CINCINNATI — Christian Yelich hit for a record-tying third cycle — all of them against Cincinnati — but the Milwaukee Brewers’ rally fell short in the ninth inning in a 14-11 loss to the Reds on Wednesday. Tyler Stephenson drove in four runs with a pair of doubles, and Colin...
Masters champ Scottie Scheffler joins major winner Jordan Spieth as Nelson hometown starVideo
McKINNEY, Texas — Jordan Spieth remembers coming to his hometown Byron Nelson a few weeks after winning the Masters for his first major seven years ago. Now the three-time major champion will get to watch Scottie Scheffler do the same thing Thursday in their pairing Thursday at TPC Craig Ranch,...
Alabama coach Nick Saban denies tampering with Louisville wide receiver transferVideo
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama coach Nick Saban denies anybody from his program had contact with receiver Tyler Harrell before the former Louisville player entered the transfer portal, which would have violated NCAA rules. Saban responded to a suggestion from Louisville coach Scott Satterfield that Alabama tampered with Harrell, who since...
Former White Sox trainer sues general manager, team over terminationVideo
CHICAGO — A former athletic trainer for the Chicago White Sox is alleging in a lawsuit that he was fired by the team because of his sexual orientation, age and disability. The actions of White Sox general manager Rick Hahn and the club, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in...
Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic captures 2nd straight NBA MVP titleVideo
DENVER — Nikola Jokic plays for Denver. And for Serbia. Both places can once again make the same claim: For the second consecutive season, they’re home to the best player in the NBA. The league announced Wednesday night that Jokic had captured back-to-back MVP awards. The Nuggets’ big man is...
Trump sells Washington hotel to Miami-based investor group
NEW YORK — The lease to the Washington, D.C., hotel run by Donald Trump’s family company while he was president, a symbol of his power to GOP politicians who gathered there and of corruption to his critics, has been sold by his family company to a Miami-based investor fund. The...
