Associated Press stories, Page 1349
Red Sox reportedly sign Rockies SS Trevor Story to play 2BVideo
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox reportedly have agreed to terms with Rockies All-Star shortstop Trevor Story on a six-year, $140 million contract that would bring him to Boston to play second base. The deal, which was first reported by USA Today and confirmed by multiple outlets, gives the...
Philly protester pleads to lesser counts in 2020 police vehicle fires
PHILADELPHIA — A woman charged with setting fire to two police vehicles during civil disorder in Philadelphia following 2020 protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has pleaded guilty to lesser offenses in an agreement with federal prosecutors. Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal, 35, pleaded guilty last week to two...
Browns defend decision to add QB Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson’s complicated past didn’t dissuade the Cleveland Browns from betting on the quarterback’s future. He is on Cleveland’s roster, and at this point that is the only certainty with the talented yet controversial QB. Watson’s stunning trade to the Browns became official Sunday, capping a whirlwind few days during...
‘The Batman,’ still No. 1, crosses $300 million
“The Batman” is still going strong three weeks into its theatrical run, with a tight grip on the top spot at the box office. Robert Pattinson’s debut as the Dark Knight earned an additional $36.8 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. It also slid past the $300...
U.S. admiral says China fully militarized isles
OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA — China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby,...
Labor foe Howard Schultz returns as Starbucks union effort grows
From the time he bought Starbucks in 1987 to the time he stepped down as chairman in 2018, Howard Schultz consistently — and successfully — fought attempts to unionize Starbucks’ U.S. stores and roasting plants. But Schultz — who was recently named Starbucks’ interim chief executive — never confronted a...
Gunfire at Arkansas car show leaves 1 dead, 24 wounded
DUMAS, Ark. — One person was killed and 24 others wounded when gunfire erupted during a car show that is part of an annual community event in a small southeast Arkansas town, authorities said Sunday. Police have not said what led to Saturday night’s shooting in Dumas, but Gov. Asa...
Democratic gains in legislative maps might not last long
DENVER — The surprising advantage Democrats gained during the torturous process of rewriting the nation’s congressional maps may be short-lived, creating the potential for more frequent clashes over how political power should be distributed across the United States. As the once-a-decade scramble to draw new legislative lines, a process known...
Amid new bombings, Ukraine now seen as a war of attrition
LVIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian authorities said Sunday that Russia’s military bombed an art school sheltering about 400 people in Mariupol, and tearful evacuees from the devastated port city described how “battles took place over every street,” weeks into the siege. The fall of Mariupol would allow Russian forces in southern...
Longtime NFL journalist John Clayton dies at age 67
SEATTLE — Longtime NFL journalist John Clayton died Friday following a short illness. He was 67. The Seattle Seahawks announced the death for Clayton’s family in a statement. Clayton worked for the team in recent years as a sideline reporter on radio broadcasts. Nicknamed “The Professor,” Clayton spent more than...
Former Arizona coach, Pitt guard Sean Miller returning to XavierVideo
CINCINNATI — Former Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller returned to Xavier on Saturday, less than a year after the Wildcats fired him amid an ongoing NCAA investigation that’s stretched nearly five years. Miller replaces Travis Steele, his former assistant who was fired Wednesday after four seasons. “Xavier is thrilled to...
Saint Peter’s is 3rd 15 seed in Sweet 16, beats Murray StateVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Saint Peter’s broke the hearts of Kentuckians yet again, getting 17 points from KC Ndefo to beat Murray State, 70-60, on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and complete its rise from obscurity into the Sweet 16. Two days after tossing eight-time national champion...
Penn State wins 9th NCAA wrestling team title in 11 yearsVideo
DETROIT — Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson successfully defended his heavyweight title in his final college match, Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis became a three-time champion and Penn State completed a dominating run through the NCAA tournament Saturday night. Penn State wrapped up its ninth team title in 11 years hours before...
AP: Browns to trade QB Case Keenum, sign Jacoby Brissett as backupVideo
The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback carousel spun again Saturday. Twice. While Cleveland waits to officially welcome Deshaun Watson, the team agreed to trade backup quarterback Case Keenum to Buffalo and sign free agent QB Jacoby Brissett, a person familiar with the deals told the Associated Press. The Browns are sending Keenum...
Flyers trade longtime captain Claude Giroux to PanthersVideo
PHILADELPHIA — After 1,000 games and a reign as the longest-serving team captain in Flyers history, Claude Giroux is off to Florida to try to win his first Stanley Cup. Philadelphia traded Giroux on Saturday in a deal that sent this season’s All-Star game MVP to Florida in a move...
Duke’s Coach K, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo set for final meeting in NCAA TournamentVideo
GREENVILLE, S.C. — In a sport where the only lasting stars are the coaches, few are more recognizable than Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. Both have spent decades at the top of their profession, with national titles, Final Fours and enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. They’ve...
North Carolina survives, knocks off defending champion BaylorVideo
FORT WORTH, Texas — So much for the idea North Carolina is soft against top-tier competition. These Tar Heels are going to the Sweet 16 after knocking off the defending champions. No, it wasn’t easy. The Tar Heels blew a 25-point second-half lead after Brady Manek was ejected for a...
‘Full-blown chaos:’ NASCAR preps for wild racing at AtlantaVideo
HAMPTON, Ga. — Atlanta Motor Speedway billed its striking changes as a “reimagining” of the venerable track. During a 40-minute practice session, the drivers dealt with the reality of what they’ll be facing Sunday in the NASCAR Cup race. “Full-blown chaos,” Christopher Bell said, sounding like he was finally able...
Egypt displays recently discovered ancient tombs in Saqqara
Egypt on Saturday displayed recently discovered, well-decorated ancient tombs at a Pharaonic necropolis just outside the capital Cairo. The five tombs were unearthed earlier this month and date back to the Old Kingdom — a period spanning roughly from around 2700 BC to 2200 B.C., as well as to the...
Judge: Same-sex marriage license denials violated rights
A federal judge has ruled that a former Kentucky clerk violated the constitutional rights of two same-sex couples who were among those she wouldn’t issue marriage licenses — a refusal that sparked international attention and briefly landed her in jail in 2015. U.S. District Judge David Bunning in Ashland issued...
Russians push deeper into Mariupol as locals plead for help
Russian forces pushed deeper into Ukraine’s besieged and battered port city of Mariupol on Saturday, where heavy fighting shut down a major steel plant and local authorities pleaded for more Western help. The fall of Mariupol, the scene of some of the war’s worst suffering, would mark a major battlefield...
4 U.S. Marines die in NATO drill when Osprey crashes in Norway
Four U.S. Marines were killed when their Osprey aircraft crashed in a Norwegian town in the Arctic Circle during a NATO exercise unrelated to Russia’s war in Ukraine, authorities said Saturday. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere tweeted that they died in the crash on Friday night. The cause was...
Denied swift victory, Russian military maintains strong hand
The signs are abundant of how Ukraine frustrated Vladimir Putin’s hopes for a swift victory and how Russia’s military proved far from ready for the fight. A truck carrying Russian troops crashes, its doors blown open by a rocket-propelled grenade. Foreign-supplied drones target Russian command posts. Orthodox priests in trailing...
Longtime NFL journalist John Clayton dies at age 67
SEATTLE — Longtime NFL journalist John Clayton died Friday following a short illness. He was 67. The Seattle Seahawks, through Clayton’s family, announced the death in a statement. Clayton worked for the team in recent years as a sideline reporter on radio broadcasts. Nicknamed “The Professor,” Clayton spent more than...
Afghanistan is world’s unhappiest country, even before Taliban
Afghanistan is the unhappiest country in the world — even before the Taliban swept to power last August. That’s according to a so-called World Happiness report released ahead of the U.N.-designated International Day of Happiness on Sunday. The annual report ranked Afghanistan as last among 149 countries surveyed, with a...
