Associated Press stories, Page 504

When your finances start to spiral and it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up with credit card payments or build toward financial goals, switching your payment method temporarily to cash or debit could help. Spending with credit cards can stimulate the brain’s reward center and drive you to make more...

WASHINGTON — Under fire from conservatives, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked furiously Tuesday to sell fellow Republicans on the debt ceiling and budget deal he negotiated with President Joe Biden and win approval in time to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default. Leaders of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus lambasted...

RICHMOND, Va. — Following Target’s announcement last week that it removed products and relocated Pride displays to the back of certain stores in the South, activists in the LGBTQ+ community are calling for new campaigns to convince corporate leaders not to cave to anti-LGBTQ+ groups. “We need a strategy on...

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Police launched a search Tuesday for three suspects they believe to be the gunmen who opened fire along a crowded Florida beachside promenade on Memorial Day, wounding a 1-year-old and eight others while sending people frantically running for cover. Hollywood police sought the public’s help in identifying...

DALLAS — William Karlsson scored two goals and had an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights advanced to their second Stanley Cup Final with a 6-0 rout Monday night over the Dallas Stars, who had extended the Western Conference Final to six games after losing the first three. William Carrier,...

BOSTON — Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night to help the Miami Heat beat the Celtics, 103-84, and turn back Boston’s attempt at an unprecedented comeback. The Heat recovered after blowing...

CONCORD, N.C. — Ryan Blaney held off William Byron to win the rescheduled Coca-Cola 600 on Monday at Charlotte Speedway, giving team owner Roger Penske a sweep of the Memorial Day weekend’s top races in the United States. Josef Newgarden won a record-extending 19th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday for Team...

PARIS — Pretty much everyone expects to see, and likely wants to see, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic face each other in the French Open semifinals. There’s work to be done first, of course, and both began their journeys at Roland Garros with straight-set victories Monday against opponents making Grand...

INDIANAPOLIS — IndyCar owner Roger Penske says he is certain series officials will investigate what led to a wheel coming loose during a crash in the Indianapolis 500. The wheel sailed over the catch fence and grandstands before landing on a parked automobile. “We haven’t had a wheel come off...

Professional organizers might define household clutter as a pile of unmade decisions. Money clutter is much the same. Those credit cards you no longer use but haven’t closed? That’s money clutter. So is the retirement account you left behind three jobs ago and the financial paperwork you keep but no...

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who “dared all and gave all” fighting for their country and called on Americans to ensure that their “sacrifice was not in vain” as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery....

PITTSBURGH — Former Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell says he smoked marijuana before playing some NFL games during his career. “That’s what I did,” Bell told Barstool Sports’ “Steel Here” podcast which was published Friday. “When I was playing football, I smoked, bro. Even before...

NEW YORK — When Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina launched his campaign for the White House last week, the notoriously prickly former President Donald Trump welcomed his new competitor with open arms. There were no accusations of disloyalty or nasty nicknames from the GOP front-runner like the barrage...

WASHINGTON — With the end of the critically acclaimed drama’s fourth and final season, dedicated fans of “Succession” now know the answer to the series’ central question: Which of the Murdoch-esque Roy family siblings will prevail? Oh, and — for those who haven’t yet watched, here’s the spoiler alert. The...

NEW YORK — If rising oceans aren’t worry enough, add this to the risks New York City faces: The metropolis is slowly sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers, homes, asphalt and humanity itself. New research estimates the city’s landmass is sinking at an average rate of 1 to 2...

MESA, Ariz. — A suspect has been arrested in connection with five separate shootings in the Phoenix metro area that left four people dead and a woman wounded, authorities said Sunday. Mesa police said 20-year-old Iren Byers was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree murder...

OMAHA, Neb. — Eight of the 16 regional hosts selected for the NCAA Tournament are from the Southeastern Conference, the Division I Baseball Committee announced Sunday night. The hosts have locked up spots in the national tournament, and the rest of the 64-team field will be unveiled Monday. Each regional...

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma will seek its third straight national softball title and seventh championship overall at the Women’s College World Series. The Sooners set the NCAA Division I record with their 48th consecutive win in an 8-7 victory over Clemson on Saturday to win the Norman Super Regional. They...

HENDERSON, KY — A convicted murderer who escaped last week from a northwest Ohio prison with another inmate by hiding in a trash container was found dead Sunday after his body was spotted floating in the Ohio River, police in Kentucky said. The discovery brought to a close a manhunt...

FORT WORTH, Texas — Emiliano Grillo made a 5-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole at Colonial to get his first PGA Tour victory in more than 7 1/2 years, after blowing a two-stroke lead with a double-bogey on the 72nd hole Sunday. Grillo curled in the winning putt...

“The Little Mermaid” made moviegoers want to be under the sea on Memorial Day weekend. Disney’s live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic easily outswam the competition, bringing in $95.5 million on 4,320 screens in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. And Disney estimates the film starring Halle Bailey...