Associated Press stories, Page 1678
Religious festival stampede in Israel kills 45, injures 150
JERUSALEM — A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in northern Israel killed at least 45 people and injured about 150 early Friday, medical officials said. It was one of the country’s deadliest civilian disasters. The stampede began when large numbers of people...
EU accuses Apple of antitrust breach over App Store rules
LONDON — European Union regulators are accusing Apple of violating the bloc’s antitrust laws, alleging that the company distorts competition for music streaming through rules for its App Store. The EU’s executive Commission said Friday it objected to how Apple applies rules in its App Store to music streaming services...
Florida GOP awaits governor’s signature on new voting rules
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Republicans passed a series of sweeping voter restrictions Thursday targeting mailed ballots, drop boxes and other popular election methods, becoming the latest GOP-controlled state to tighten voting rules after massive turnout in 2020. The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who just months ago touted...
Stampede at Israeli religious festival kills nearly 40Video
JERUSALEM — A stampede broke out early Friday at a Jewish religious festival attended by tens of thousands of people in northern Israel, killing nearly 40 people and leaving some 150 hospitalized, medical officials said. The stampede, one of the deadliest civilian disasters in Israeli history, occurred during the celebrations...
Packers stay committed to Aaron Rodgers amid report QB wants outVideo
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst reiterated Thursday that the team remains committed to quarterback Aaron Rodgers amid a report the reigning MVP doesn’t want to return to Green Bay. “As we’ve stated since the season ended, we are committed to Aaron in 2021 and beyond,” Gutekunst...
As expected, QBs take top 3 spots as NFL Draft gets underway amid some normalcyVideo
No suspense at the top of this NFL draft: Quarterback, quarterback and, yep, quarterback. With fans in attendance, prospects on hand and commissioner Roger Goodell dispensing greetings to players being selected Thursday night, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence went to the Jacksonville Jaguars to get things started. Next was BYU’s Zach Wilson...
Derby favorite Essential Quality brings strongest resume
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Horse racing could be in line for another Triple Crown bid, and this time the likely candidate is an undefeated horse from a barn other than Bob Baffert’s. Baffert, of course, is the sport’s dominant trainer who guided American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 to...
NFL Draft: Players selected in the first round
1. Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence, QB, 6-foot-6, 213 pounds, Clemson Breakdown: Lawrence has been the presumptive No. 1 pick in this draft since his freshman season. Prototypical size, top-notch speed and athleticism and rare arm talent. Want to pick some nits? His delivery is a little long and deep ball...
Former reality TV star Josh Duggar arrested, jailed in Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Former reality TV star Josh Duggar was jailed in northwest Arkansas on Thursday after his arrest by federal authorities. It was unclear what charges he may face. Duggar was held at the Washington County jail after being arrested in the afternoon by U.S. marshals, according to the...
Bradley has no stress and no bogeys to lead at PGA Tour Valspar ChampionshipVideo
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Keegan Bradley can’t recall having an easier time than he did Thursday at Innisbrook. He missed only one green. His longest par putt was just over 4 feet. It added up to a 7-under-par 64 and another great start in the Valspar Championship. It is the...
Brazil tops 400,000 coronavirus deaths amid fears of renewed surge
SAO PAULO — Brazil on Thursday became the second country to officially top 400,000 covid-19 deaths, losing another 100,000 lives in just one month, as some health experts warn there may be gruesome days ahead when the Southern Hemisphere enters winter. April was Brazil’s deadliest month of the pandemic, with...
Idaho lawmaker accused of rape resigns after expulsion recommended
BOISE — An Idaho lawmaker accused of rape by a 19-year-old legislative intern has resigned after an ethics committee found he should be formally censured. The investigation into Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger began in March after a young staffer reported he raped her in his apartment after the two had...
Mayor Bill de Blasio says New York City will ‘fully reopen’ by July 1Video
NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday he expects to see covid-19 restrictions lifted and the city “fully reopen” by July 1. “We are ready for stores to open, for businesses to open, offices, theaters, full strength,” the Democratic mayor said on MSNBC. De Blasio...
5 arrested in violent robbery of Lady Gaga’s dogs
LOS ANGELES — The woman who returned Lady Gaga’s stolen French bulldogs was among five people arrested in connection with the theft and shooting of the music superstar’s dog walker, Los Angeles police said Thursday. Detectives do not believe that the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the pop star,...
8 indicted in alcohol-related death after fraternity party at Bowling GreenVideo
TOLEDO, Ohio — Seven college students in Ohio and another man were indicted in the alcohol-related death of a 20-year-old who was found unconscious after a fraternity party, prosecutors said Thursday. A grand jury indicted the eight on charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to hazing. Stone Foltz, 20, died three...
Jaromir Jagr leads his club back to top Czech league at 49
KLADNO, Czech Republic — Jaromir Jagr was celebrating on the ice again Thursday. The 49-year-old right winger had an assist to help his hometown club Kladno Knights return to the top Czech league by beating Jihlava, 5-2, to clinch their playoff series 4-3. Jagr made his debut for Kladno as...
U.S. vows again to ban menthol flavor in cigarettes, cigarsVideo
U.S. health regulators pledged again Thursday to try to ban menthol cigarettes, this time under pressure from African American groups to remove the mint flavor popular among Black smokers. The Food and Drug Administration has attempted several times to get rid of menthol but faced pushback from Big Tobacco, members...
Ryan Miller’s time: Ducks goalie to retire at end of season
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ryan Miller smiled and choked up a bit when he considered how his career as the winningest American-born goalie in professional hockey history almost never happened. When Miller first became fascinated with goaltending as a youngster growing up in Michigan, he says his father, Dean, gently tried...
Pennsylvania Senate OKs bill to halt plans to toll bridges
Republicans in Pennsylvania’s Senate are trying to make Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration start over on its plans to toll up to nine major bridges, approving a bill Tuesday to require the state Department of Transportation to undergo a new process that includes approval from the Legislature. The bill passed the...
Top ally announces closing of Navalny’s offices amid crackdown
MOSCOW — A top ally of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Thursday that the network of the politician’s offices in Russia is being closed as authorities seek to have it and Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption outlawed as extremist groups. Also on Thursday, Navalny made his first public...
Driver charged with homicide in Georgia crash that killed 6
SUWANEE, Ga. — The driver of a van that crashed and burst into flames on a Georgia interstate has been arrested and charged with six counts of homicide by vehicle, police said Thursday. Six women inside the van were killed and 10 others also in the van were injured in...
N.C. Sheriff: 2 deputies killed, suspect and 2 others dead
BOONE, N.C. — Two deputies were killed and three other people including a suspected gunman were found dead after a lengthy standoff in North Carolina, a sheriff’s office said Thursday. The Watauga County Sheriff’s office said Sgt. Chris Ward and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox were dispatched to a home in...
Feds raid Rudy Giuliani’s home, office, escalating criminal probe
NEW YORK — Federal agents raided Rudy Giuliani’s Manhattan home and office Wednesday, seizing computers and cellphones in a major escalation of the Justice Department’s investigation into the business dealings of former President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. Giuliani, the 76-year-old former New York City mayor once celebrated for his leadership...
Stocks end higher, pushing S&P 500 to another record high
Stocks overcame a midday stumble on Wall Street to close broadly higher Thursday, driving the S&P 500 to another record high. The benchmark index rose 0.7% after having been down 0.2% earlier. Communications companied helped power a big part of the gain, led by a sharp rise in Facebook following...
Russian military says its troops returned to bases after buildup near Ukraine
MOSCOW — The Russian military said Thursday that its troops have returned to their permanent bases after concluding massive drills near Ukraine that alarmed Western countries. Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the military’s General Staff, said that more than 300,000 troops, nearly one-third of the nation’s 1 million member...
