Associated Press stories, Page 1351
NCAA Tournament roundup: Top-seeded Gonzaga pulls away from Georgia StateVideo
Drew Timme scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half, and top overall seed Gonzaga struggled to shake No. 16 seed Georgia State for 30 minutes before pulling away late for a 93-72 victory Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Zags (27-3) were sluggish...
Hot spring forecast: Drought deepens in West, flooding ebbs
There’s no relief in sight for the West’s record-shattering megadrought, which will likely only deepen this spring, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its seasonal outlook Thursday. But central and eastern states should be mostly spared from significant flooding. Spring is likely to be hotter than normal in...
Big Ten tourney champ Iowa knocked out early by RichmondVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jacob Gilyard scored 24 points, Tyler Burton added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 12 seed Richmond leaned on its experience to hold off Big Ten tournament champ Iowa, 67-63, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Nathan Cayo also had 15 points,...
NTSB: 13-year-old was driving pickup that struck van killing 9
HOBBS, N.M. — A 13-year-old was driving the pickup truck that struck a van in West Texas in a fiery collision that killed nine people, National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said Thursday. The truck’s left front tire, which was a spare tire, also blew out before impact,...
AP source: Baker Mayfield requests trade after Browns chase Deshaun WatsonVideo
Baker Mayfield wants out of Cleveland. The Browns aren’t willing to let him go just yet. Mayfield requested to be traded from the Browns on Thursday after the team failed in its pursuit of Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson, a person familiar with the discussions told the Associated Press on Thursday....
Rams agree to 3-year deal with former Penn State WR Allen RobinsonVideo
The Los Angeles Rams agreed to terms Thursday on a three-year contract for receiver Allen Robinson, one of the NFL’s most dependable veteran pass-catchers during his eight seasons in the league. Robinson, a Penn State product, has three 1,000-yard seasons during a productive career split between Jacksonville and Chicago. He...
Seldom-used freshman Frankie Collins sparks Michigan to NCAA Tournament winVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Freshman Frankie Collins made a starting debut that Michigan fans won’t soon forget. With starting point guard DeVante’ Jones stuck on campus in concussion protocol and the Wolverines struggling with turnovers, Collins scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and helped 11th-seeded Michigan overcome a shaky start to beat...
Ben Howland out as Mississippi State coach after 7 seasons
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Ben Howland is out after seven seasons with the program. A release on Thursday did not provide details about Howland’s departure, and a message left with a basketball spokesman was not immediately returned. Athletic director John Cohen thanked Howland for his devotion...
U.S. adult smoking rate fell during first year of pandemic
NEW YORK — The first year of the covid-19 pandemic saw more Americans drinking heavily or using illicit drugs — but apparently not smoking. U.S. cigarette smoking dropped to a new all-time low in 2020, with 1 in 8 adults saying they were current smokers, according to survey data released...
Washington state prohibits Texas-style abortion lawsuits
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Washington state measure that prohibits legal action against people seeking an abortion and those who aid them was signed into law Thursday by the governor, in a move designed to rebut recent actions by conservative states. “We know this bill is necessary because this is a...
St. Patrick’s Day parades turn pandemic blues Irish green
NEW YORK — St. Patrick’s Day celebrations across the country are back after a two-year hiatus, including the nation’s largest in New York City, in a sign of growing hope that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic may be over. The holiday served as a key marker in the outbreak’s...
Average U.S. mortgage rates rise; 30-year loan breaches 4%
WASHINGTON — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose this week as the key 30-year loan vaulted over 4% for the first time since May 2019. The increase came amid expectations that with inflation at a four-decade high, the Federal Reserve would raise its benchmark short-term interest rate at its policy...
Explainer: Ex-Honduras president step closer to extradition
MEXICO CITY — A judge in Honduras has ruled that former President Juan Orlando Hernández should be extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking and weapons charges. Wednesday’s decision came one month after police arrested Hernández at his home at the request of the U.S. government. While Hernández...
One of the most basic hotel amenities is disappearing
Whether out of necessity due to staffing shortages, out of respect for social distancing or perhaps just to save money, one of the primary amenities that sets a hotel apart from your home — daily housekeeping — is disappearing. The days of returning to a wrinkle-free duvet are likely gone....
Study: SUVs, pickups hit pedestrians more often than cars do
DETROIT — Drivers of bigger vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs are more likely to hit pedestrians while making turns than drivers of cars, according to a new study. The research released Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety points to the increasing popularity of larger vehicles as...
Candy Crush Saga among finalists for Video Game Hall of Fame
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Candy Crush Saga and Words with Friends, video games that helped make gamers out of anyone with a smartphone, are up for inclusion in the World Video Game Hall of Fame, hall officials said Thursday as they announced a total of 12 finalists. Also being considered for...
Biden to call China’s Xi to discuss Russia, economic issues
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will speak Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ongoing economic competition between the two countries and Russia’s war against Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the upcoming phone call in a Thursday statement that said it’s “part of our ongoing efforts...
Stocks open lower as crude oil price turn sharply higher
NEW YORK — Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street Thursday but are still holding on to sizable gains for the week. Traders are turning cautious as oil prices surge again, pushing U.S. benchmark crude up 7% and back above $100 a barrel. That’s a worrisome sign for inflation, which...
Wright State beats Bryant for NCAA Tournament win
DAYTON, Ohio — Tanner Holden had 37 points and 11 rebounds and Wright State beat Bryant, 93-82, on Wednesday night for its first NCAA Tournament victory. Playing inside the University of Dayton Arena just 12 miles from its home court, Wright State (22-13) advanced to play top-seeded Arizona in San...
AP source: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers agree to $162 million, 6-year deal
Freddie Freeman is headed home to Southern California and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The first-time free agent and the Dodgers have agreed to a $162 million, six-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity late Wednesday...
Notre Dame beats Rutgers in double-OT to cap First Four
DAYTON, Ohio — Paul Atkinson Jr. was in the right place at the right time for Notre Dame as the clock wound down in the second overtime period against relentless Rutgers. Atkinson rebounded a missed shot by Blake Wesley and put back a layup with 1.4 seconds left to give...
Rescuers search theater rubble as Russian attacks continue
KYIV, Ukraine — Rescue workers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites. Hundreds of...
Who is a war criminal, and who gets to decide?
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden flatly called Russia’s Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” for the unfolding onslaught in Ukraine, where hospitals and maternity wards have been bombed. But declaring someone a war criminal is not as simple as just saying the words. There are set definitions and processes for determining...
Italy seeks to study, sample Europe’s southern-most glacier
ON THE CALDERONE GLACIER, Italy — Italian scientists are racing against time to study, scan and sample Europe’s southernmost glacier before it melts and disappears as a result of rising global temperatures. Researchers conducted a preliminary radar survey of the Calderone glacier in Italy’s central Apennine Mountains on March 13...
War in Ukraine will take global economic toll, group warns
Russia’s war in Ukraine will disrupt commerce and clog up supply chains, slashing economic growth and pushing prices sharply higher around the globe, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned Thursday. In a grim new assessment, the 38-country OECD said that over the next year, the conflict would reduce...
