Associated Press stories, Page 597
U.S., Philippine forces launch combat drills in disputed South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — American and Filipino forces launched their largest combat exercises in years Monday in a show of allied firepower near the disputed South China Sea that has alarmed Beijing. The annual exercises by the longtime treaty allies will run until May 10 and involve more than 16,000 of...
No ‘magic pill’ when it comes to hitting on QB in NFL Draft
The Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback in this draft. That much is easy to see. The hard part is picking the right one — and determining what it’s worth to get him. With this top-flight class — featuring Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy — the Vikings...
Caitlin Clark’s early play in WNBA to determine status for U.S. Olympic women’s team
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Caitlin Clark’s early play in WNBA will serve as her tryout for a spot on the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team. The women’s roster for the Paris Games won’t be determined before June 1. Unable to attend the U.S. training camp this month, Clark will have the...
Papua New Guinea leader takes offense after Biden implies his uncle was eaten by cannibals there
MELBOURNE, Australia — Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape accused Joe Biden of disparaging the South Pacific island nation by implying that an uncle of the U.S. president had been eaten by “cannibals” there during World War II. Biden’s comments offended a key strategic ally as China moves to...
Europe is the fastest-warming continent, at nearly twice the average global rate, report says
NAPLES, Italy — Europe is the fastest-warming continent and its temperatures are rising at roughly twice the global average, two top climate monitoring organizations reported Monday, warning of the consequences for human health, glacier melt and economic activity. The U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s climate agency, Copernicus,...
Sabres bring back Lindy Ruff as coach in hopes of ending playoff drought
Lindy Ruff is returning to Buffalo for a second stint as coach of the Sabres. General manager Kevyn Adams announced the hiring Monday. Adams had strongly hinted at bringing Ruff back into the fold when talking about hiring a coach with significant NHL experience. Ruff coached the Sabres from 1997-2013...
Heavy rainstorms kill 4 in southern China; 10 people missing
BEIJING — Heavy rainstorms that swept across southern China over the weekend killed at least four people in riverside cities, while a search was underway for 10 others missing, state media said Monday. The official Xinhua news agency said three people died in Zhaoqing city while one rescuer died in...
Matt Ryan calls it a career. The quarterback officially announces his retirementVideo
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — On the first pass of his first NFL minicamp, Matt Ryan delivered a wobbly throw that left his new Atlanta Falcons teammates shaking their heads. They couldn’t help but wonder if the team made a huge mistake drafting this skinny kid out of Boston College with...
Baltimore leaders accuse ship’s owner and manager of negligence in Key Bridge collapse
BALTIMORE — The owner and manager of the massive container ship that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month should be held fully liable for the deadly collapse, according to court papers filed Monday on behalf of Baltimore’s mayor and city council. The two companies filed a petition...
Scottie Scheffler finishes off another win at Hilton Head to extend dominant runVideo
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — A Masters green jacket wasn’t enough for Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler was running on emotional fumes fresh off his four-shot victory at Augusta National but full of purpose that more than made up for his lack of preparation for the RBC Heritage. The result not only...
NASCAR revels in an M.J. moment. His Airness gives a big boost to his posthoops passionVideo
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Suddenly, Michael Jordan’s new life seems just as satisfying as his old one. This felt a whole lot like M.J. knocking down a buzzer beater, winning the big game, celebrating like a champion. Of course, his title-hoarding days in the NBA are long behind him. But Jordan’s...
Pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. college campuses following mass arrests at Columbia
NEW YORK — Columbia canceled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at Yale and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public on Monday as some of the most prestigious U.S. universities sought to diffuse campus tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas. The various actions followed the...
West Virginia confirms first measles case since 2009
CHARLESTON — A West Virginia hospital has confirmed the first known case of measles in the state since 2009, health officials said Monday. The Monongalia County Health Department said WVU Medicine alerted officials Sunday that an adult patient living in the county tested positive for the viral infection. Health officials...
Local election workers fear threats to their safety as November nears. One group is trying to help
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The group gathered inside the conference room, mostly women, fell silent as the audio recording began to play. The male voice, clearly agitated, railed against what he thought had been fraud that cost former President Donald Trump reelection four years ago. “You’re gonna pay for it,”...
Man who attacked police after storming U.S. Capitol with Confederate flag gets over 2 years in prison
WASHINGTON — A Kentucky man who stormed the U.S. Capitol while carrying a Confederate battle flag was sentenced on Monday to more than two years in prison for pepper spraying two police officers in the face, partially blinding them for hours during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Isreal Easterday was...
Tennessee’s GOP governor says Volkswagen plant workers made a mistake in union vote
GALLATIN, Tenn. — Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee said Monday that he thinks workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga made a mistake by voting to unionize under the United Auto Workers in a landslide election but acknowledged the choice was ultimately up to them. Ahead of the vote, Lee...
No charges yet in weekend crash that killed 2 siblings at Michigan birthday party
BERLIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Investigators need more time to collect information before charges can be filed in the deaths of two young siblings who were killed by a suspected drunken driver at a child’s weekend birthday party, a Michigan prosecutor said Monday. “We expect to make a charging decision” on...
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is ejected 5 pitches into game vs. AthleticsVideo
NEW YORK — Aaron Boone didn’t tie the record for fastest ejection. The New York Yankees manager did think it was among the most unjust dismissal. Boone was thrown out of Monday’s 2-0 loss to Oakland five pitches in by Hunter Wendelstedt over a remark the Yankees maintained was yelled...
Jets trade quarterback Zach Wilson to Broncos, AP source says
The New York Jets traded quarterback Zach Wilson to the Denver Broncos on Monday, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The Jets are sending Wilson and a seventh-round pick in this week’s NFL draft to the Broncos for a sixth-rounder, the person said. The person spoke...
Express files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, announces store closures
NEW YORK — Express Inc — once a trendsetter of casual office attire that has struggled to compete with the likes of Zara and H&M — has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The retailer based in Columbus, Ohio, and founded in 1980 also said Monday it is seeking to...
Work starts on bullet train rail line from Las Vegas to Los Angeles
LAS VEGAS — A $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area has started construction, officials said Monday, amid predictions that millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028. “People have been dreaming of high-speed rail in America for decades,” U.S. Transportation Secretary...
European nations with Patriot missiles hesitate to give air defense systems to Ukraine
BRUSSELS — European Union countries possessing Patriot air defense systems gave no clear signal on Monday whether they might be willing to supply them to Ukraine, which is desperately seeking at least seven of the missile batteries to help fend off Russian air attacks. Russia’s air force is vastly more...
Russia convicts the spokesperson for Facebook owner Meta in a swift trial in absentia
A court in Russia on Monday convicted the spokesperson of U.S. technology company Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison in a swift trial in absentia, Russia’s independent news site Mediazona reported. According to the outlet, the charges against Meta...
Tesla cuts the price of its Full Self Driving system by a third to $8,000
NEW YORK — Tesla knocked roughly a third off the price of its Full Self Driving system — which can’t drive itself and so drivers must remain alert and be ready to intervene — to $8,000 from $12,000, according to the company website. Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk promised...
With homelessness on the rise, the Supreme Court will weigh bans on sleeping outdoors
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court wrestled with major questions about the growing issue of homelessness on Monday as it considered whether cities can ban people from sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking. The case is considered the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the...
