Associated Press stories, Page 2150
Iraqi military says 2 rockets hit Baghdad’s Green ZoneVideo
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s military on Thursday said at least two rockets hit inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq’s government and home to the American Embassy, in the first attack following a brief lull in violence from earlier this month. Iraqi officials also said the United States...
Highlights of Congress’ $2.2 trillion virus relief packageVideo
WASHINGTON — What’s exactly in the massive $2.2 trillion package to rush aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the coronavirus pandemic? The package, written by Trump administration officials and Democratic and Republican Senate leaders, was released late Wednesday night and unanimously approved by the Senate....
Senate passes coronavirus rescue package on unanimous voteVideo
WASHINGTON — The Senate late Wednesday passed an unparalleled $2.2 trillion economic rescue package steering aid to businesses, workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic. The unanimous vote came despite misgivings on both sides about whether it goes too far or not far enough and capped days...
New Zealand mosque gunman pleads guilty to murder, terrorism
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The man who committed the worst atrocity in New Zealand’s modern history when he slaughtered 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques unexpectedly pleaded guilty to all charges Thursday. The attacks targeting people praying at the mosques a year ago shocked the nation and prompted new laws...
G-7 foreign ministers spar over coronavirus amid pandemic
WASHINGTON — Foreign ministers from the Group of 7 leading industrialized democracies sparred Wednesday over whether to call out China as the source of the coronavirus pandemic. Meeting by video conference because of the outbreak, the ministers agreed on the need for joint efforts to halt the spread of the...
IOC’s Thomas Bach invokes Trump in defense of Olympic decisionVideo
GENEVA — A day after officially postponing the Tokyo Olympics, IOC president Thomas Bach invoked comments by President Donald Trump to defend himself from criticism Wednesday. Bach spoke to about 400 reporters on a conference call and was quizzed why, despite growing concern from athletes, it took so long to...
Gov. Tate Reeves: Mississippi not ‘dictator’ on limits during virusVideo
JACKSON — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday that he is rejecting “dictator models like China” to strictly control people’s movements to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. “We’re following our experts and I’ve spent many sleepless nights praying for wisdom in this unprecedented time,” Republican Reeves said on...
Even if there is no MLB season, players still can be free agentsVideo
NEW YORK — Mookie Betts and all the players set to be free agents after the 2020 season still would get that chance if there is no baseball this year, part of a broad deal being negotiated by the commissioner’s office and the players’ association. If there is no season...
Patriots’ Devin McCourty ready for post-Tom Brady era in New EnglandVideo
BOSTON — Don’t minimize the New England Patriots. Devin McCourty warns the NFL that in the post-Tom Brady era, forgetting about New England is not a wise move. The safety, defensive captain and three-time Super Bowl champion is entering his 11th season in New England after recently agreeing to a...
Nona Blues: Graeme McDowell concerned with restaurants and his golfVideo
Graeme McDowell finds motivation in short supply as he tries to keep his golf game sharp without knowing when the next tournament will be played. In that respect, he’s no different from most players. His concern goes beyond golf during the shutdown from the spread of the new coronavirus. McDowell...
Virginia governor urges Jerry Falwell Jr. to rethink welcoming Liberty studentsVideo
RICHMOND — In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Virginia’s governor asked Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. on Wednesday to reconsider his decision to welcome students back to the Lynchburg campus this week after their spring break. Speaking at a news conference in Richmond, Gov. Ralph Northam criticized Liberty, which...
Without spring practice, football coaches try to fill voidVideo
Since taking over as Florida State coach in December, Mike Norvell has spent seemingly endless hours laying the foundation of his program. Winter is time for coaches to deliver a consistent message, build the culture they want and get players to buy into a way of going about their business...
How paths might have changed under expanded NFL playoffsVideo
Lovie Smith’s coaching tenure in Chicago might not have ended had the Bears made the playoffs his final three seasons instead of missing out by one spot his last two years. Playoff droughts in Cleveland and Tampa Bay wouldn’t be nearly as long or painful had the Browns and Bucs...
NHL’s top draft prospect staying patient amid uncertaintyVideo
Alexis Lafreniere never could have envisioned ending his prolific junior hockey career in such an anticlimactic setting. There was no final buzzer, and the NHL’s projected top draft prospect was nowhere near an ice rink Wednesday. Lafreniere instead was sitting at home in suburban Montreal as he opened a conference...
Increased testing shows ballooning virus cases in LouisianaVideo
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana scrambled to ready makeshift hospitals and track down ventilators as the steady uptick of coronavirus cases continued Wednesday in a state that had already been one of the most infected per capita. Nearly 1,800 people in the state were confirmed to have the covid-19 disease caused...
Karl-Anthony Towns says mother hospitalized, in coma with covid-19Video
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns says his mother is hospitalized and in a medically induced coma after contracting the coronavirus. Towns talked about the condition of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, early Wednesday on his Instagram page and urged his followers to take covid-19 seriously and practice social distancing....
Analysis: Tom Brady over Jameis Winston easy decision for BuccaneersVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — The decision to pursue Tom Brady in free agency was a no-brainer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s not to suggest a lot of thinking and planning didn’t go into it. In snaring the six-time Super Bowl winner, who signed a two-year, $50 million contract that’s fully...
Family: U.S. believes ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson has died in Iranian custody
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government has concluded that retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished more than a decade ago, has died while in the custody of Iran, his family said Wednesday. The family said in a statement posted on Twitter that it had no information about how or when...
Chef Floyd Cardoz dies at 59 of covid-19 complications
NEW YORK — Chef Floyd Cardoz, who competed on “Top Chef,” won “Top Chef Masters” and operated successful restaurants in both India and New York, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus, his company said in a statement. He was 59. Cardoz had traveled from Mumbai to New York through...
MLB 7-inning doubleheaders? Baseball open to considering new ideasVideo
TORONTO — If Major League Baseball needs to squeeze more games into a condensed season without exhausting pitching staffs, perhaps this idea could get tossed into play: seven-inning doubleheaders. “Maybe that’s something we have to consider,” Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said on a conference call Wednesday. Opening...
Olympic delay leaves athletes uncertain about sponsorshipsVideo
Aside from figuring out how to maintain their health and fitness for an additional year, athletes such as Ryan Crouser suddenly faced another concern when the Olympics were postponed until 2021. They also have to make the money stretch that far. Crouser still hopes to defend his shot put gold...
Tiz the Law set as favorite for Saturday’s Florida DerbyVideo
MIAMI — The Florida Derby is set to have a full field and empty stands. A field of 12 has been entered for Saturday’s Florida Derby, typically one of the biggest Kentucky Derby prep races and the crown jewel of the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla....
Pennsylvania lawmakers vote to delay primary until June 2 over coronavirus
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers voted Wednesday to delay the state’s primary election by five weeks to June 2, potentially past the spike of the state’s spreading coronavirus cases. The measure passed both chambers of the Republican-controlled state Legislature on Wednesday and Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said he will sign...
Getting home: Hockey players travel scrambled by coronavirusVideo
Ryan Stanton would pull off the highway every few hours to give his pregnant wife, Kirsten, a chance to stretch her legs. That’s usually when Kirsten and her mother-in-law would switch places to tend to the Stantons’ 18-month-old daughter in the backseat of the pickup truck during a 27-hour drive...
AP Player of the Year Obi Toppin declares for NBA DraftVideo
Dayton’s Obi Toppin is headed to the NBA after leading the Flyers to a 29-2 record and No. 3 ranking as a redshirt sophomore. Toppin tweeted his decision Wednesday, a day after he was honored as the Associated Press’ men’s college basketball player of the year. The Flyers’ Anthony Grant...
