Associated Press stories, Page 1340
Poll: Americans ease up on masks, virus safeguards
Many Americans have taken significant steps back from once-routine coronavirus precautions, with fewer than half now saying they regularly wear face masks, avoid crowds and skip nonessential travel. Americans are letting down their guard even as experts warn a new wave of covid-19 cases is coming. A new poll from...
NFL owners approve rule change for OT in playoffs
PALM BEACH, Fla. — The NFL is changing its sometimes-controversial overtime rules to guarantee each side gets the ball in the playoffs. Concerned that the coin toss to begin the extra period has too much impact on postseason game results, the owners voted Tuesday to permanently approve a proposal presented...
Flamingo that escaped Kansas zoo in 2005 spotted in Texas
WICHITA, Kan. — One of two flamingos that escaped from a Kansas zoo during a storm 17 years ago has been spotted on the coast of Texas, wildlife officials said. The Coastal Fisheries division of Texas Parks and Wildlife confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press that the African flamingo —...
Wall Street builds on gains as talks on Ukraine progress
Stocks notched more gains Tuesday on Wall Street as investors welcomed encouraging economic data and as talks on ending the war in Ukraine showed signs of progress. The S&P 500 rose 1.2%, its fourth straight gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 1% higher and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.8%....
Kansas GOP lawmakers move to prevent local bans on plastic
TOPEKA, Kan. — Republican legislators in Kansas are trying to prevent cities and counties from banning, limiting or even taxing plastic bags, straws and food containers. A bill prohibiting such local bans cleared the GOP-controlled Legislature on Monday and is headed toward Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk. Kelly hasn’t publicly...
Gunmen attack train near Nigeria’s capital, kill some riders
ABUJA, Nigeria — Gunmen attacked a train near Nigeria’s capital on Monday night with explosives and gunfire, killing an unspecified number of the nearly 1,000 passengers on board, authorities and survivors told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The attackers used explosives to first blow up the rail track before opening...
Busch beer heiress enters Missouri U.S. Senate race
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Anheuser-Busch beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine on Tuesday announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate, shaking up what has been a low-profile Democratic primary in a solidly red state. Busch Valentine’s entrance into the race comes amid widespread calls from fellow Republicans for former Gov. Eric Greitens...
U.S. job openings, quitting at near record high in February
WASHINGTON — Job openings hovered at a near-record level in February, little changed from the previous month, continuing a trend that Federal Reserve officials see as a driver of inflation. There were 11.3 million available jobs last month, matching January’s figure and just below December’s record of 11.4 million, the...
Jan. 6 panel missing roughly 8 hours of Trump’s phone calls
WASHINGTON — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol has identified a roughly eight-hour gap in official records of then-President Donald Trump’s phone calls as the violence unfolded and his supporters stormed the building, according to a person familiar with the probe. The gap extends from...
FDA OKs another Pfizer, Moderna covid booster for 50 and up
Americans 50 and older can get a second covid-19 booster if it’s been at least four months since their last vaccination, a chance at extra protection for the most vulnerable in case the coronavirus rebounds. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized an extra dose of the Pfizer or...
Millennial Money: Please don’t go broke attending weddings
Sure, you want to feel joy and love upon receiving a wedding invitation. But one little postcard or email can also pack loads of pricey pressure. Perhaps you must secure travel and lodging, buy gifts and attire, or call off work. Or maybe you have the honor — and extra...
U.S. consumers still confident, but outlook not as rosy
SILVER SPRING, Md. — U.S. consumer confidence bounced back in March and remains high, though consumers’ short-term outlook is not quite as rosy. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index — which takes into account consumers’ assessment of current conditions and their outlook...
Want kids to love gardening? Give them a job, seeds, a pass
Gardeners are made, not born. If you want your children to become enthusiastic gardeners, take steps early to get them going down the proverbial path. It isn’t difficult, but it might require an adjustment to your attitude about children in the garden. The first step is to pique your child’s...
Trump suit against Clinton part of longtime legal strategy
NEW YORK — When a Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic panned Donald Trump’s plans for a new Manhattan skyscraper, Trump responded by suing. When the tenants of a building he was trying to clear sued to halt their evictions, Trump slapped back by filing suit against the law firm representing the...
Mustards hold potential to change up cooking
Good old mustard. One of my favorite condiments in the world; I have at least three different open jars at any given time. Yes, it’s amazing on sandwiches. Burgers. Hot dogs. Pigs in a blanket. But there’s more to the world of mustard, and once you start exploring it, your...
From Hollywood’s illusion factory, some unexpected reality
In the minutes and hours after Will Smith accosted and slapped Chris Rock before a live audience of millions, social media platforms lit up with a breathless and emphatic hot take: Surely, multitudes insisted, the whole thing was staged. They talked of the specifics of the altercation (“Rock barely moved”)....
TV ratings company Nielsen acquired in $16 billion deal
NEW YORK — Nielsen is being acquired for $16 billion, including debt, about a week after the TV ratings and marketing data company rejected a $9 billion offer. A group of private equity investors led by Brookfield Business Partners will invest approximately $2.65 billion via preferred equity, convertible into 45%...
Blinken in Morocco amid shifts in Mideast, North Africa diplomacy
RABAT, Morocco — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Morocco Tuesday to discuss recent shifts in the diplomatic dynamic in the Middle East and North Africa that could upend some of the region’s long-standing disputes. A day after an unprecedented gathering in Israel’s Negev Desert with the Israeli...
Relief for Kyiv? Russia vows to scale back near the capital
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia announced Tuesday it will significantly scale back military operations near Ukraine’s capital and a northern city, as the outlines of a possible deal to end the grinding war came into view at the latest round of talks. Ukraine’s delegation at the conference, held in Istanbul, laid...
UConn, Stanford, South Carolina, Louisville headed to women’s Final Four
There will be plenty of familiar faces at the women’s Final Four with Stanford, South Carolina, Louisville and UConn heading to Minneapolis. With all the upsets that occurred during the women’s NCAA Tournament this year — a record number of double-digit seeds won — three No. 1 seeds and No....
NHL GMs meeting centers on safety, inclusion, respectVideo
MANALAPAN, Fla. — Sheldon Kennedy never envisioned a moment like this two decades ago. Kim Davis didn’t see it coming as recently as 2018. The pair led a discussion Monday with the NHL’s 32 general managers at their annual meeting — their first in-person gathering since March 2020 because of...
Albert Pujols back with Cardinals for final seasonVideo
JUPITER, Fla. — With a wave of his hand and a tip of the cap, Albert Pujols walked back into the world of the St. Louis Cardinals for one final season. “This is it for me,” the 42-year-old Pujols said Monday. “This is my last run.” It was quite a...
Jan. 6 committee votes to hold Dan Scavino, Pete Navarro in contemptVideo
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol voted unanimously Monday night to hold former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress for their monthslong refusal to comply with subpoenas. The committee made their case that Navarro, former President Donald...
After NCAA run, Saint Peter’s will always have the memories
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Saint Peter’s unexpected and uplifting run to the Elite Eight ended with a bus ride back to New Jersey and the unsettling prospect Shaheen Holloway might have coached his last game for Peacocks. “To be honest, it was amazing to me,” forward Hassan Drame said of...
Nebraska lawmaker Bruce Bostelman apologizes for debunked litter box claimVideo
LINCOLN, Neb. — A Nebraska state lawmaker apologized on Monday after he publicly cited a persistent but debunked rumor alleging that schools are placing litter boxes in school bathrooms to accommodate children who self-identify as cats. Sen. Bruce Bostelman, a conservative Republican, repeated the false claim during a public, televised...
