Associated Press stories, Page 324
U.S. retail sales plunged along with temperatures in January after a bustling holiday season
WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales dropped sharply last month, in part because cold weather kept more Americans indoors, denting sales at car dealers and most other stores. Retail sales dropped 0.9% in January from the previous month, the Commerce Department said, after two months of healthy gains. It was a...
Pope Francis, suffering breathing issues, faces tests after being hospitalized to treat bronchitis
ROME — Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday to treat a weeklong bout of bronchitis and undergo diagnostic tests, the Vatican said, confirming the latest issues with the 88-year-old’s pontiff’s health that forced him to cancel his agenda through Monday at least. Francis has complained of breathing trouble and was diagnosed...
Federal funding freeze disrupts rural organizations supporting foster youth, job growth
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After surviving teen homelessness and domestic violence in West Virginia, 23-year-old Ireland Daugherty was finally feeling stable: She had her own apartment, a job and was studying for a four-year degree. Ashley Cain, 36, was celebrating four years of sobriety and working with a nonprofit that trains...
Judge sets a 5-day deadline for the Trump administration to start lifting its USAID funding freeze
WASHINGTON — A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to temporarily lift a funding freeze that has shut down U.S. humanitarian aid and development work around the world, and he has set a five-day deadline for the administration to prove it’s complying. The judge’s ruling late Thursday cited...
TikTok returns to Apple and Google app stores in U.S.
HONG KONG — TikTok has returned to the app stores of Apple and Google in the U.S., after President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a TikTok ban. TikTok, which is operated by Chinese technology firm ByteDance, was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores on Jan. 18 to comply...
Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership
SRINAGAR, India — There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship. “Defense sector is a big...
Prosecutors see an Islamic extremist motive in the Munich car-ramming attack
MUNICH — The suspect in the car-ramming attack in Munich that left more than 30 people injured appears to have had an Islamic extremist motive, but there’s no evidence that he was involved with any radical network, authorities said Friday. The 24-year-old Afghan, who arrived in Germany as an asylum-seeker...
A roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying miners in southwestern Pakistan, killing 11 people
QUETTA, Pakistan — A roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying coal miners in restive southwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 11 people and wounding five others, officials said. The attack happened in Harnai, a district in Balochistan province, according to a government administrator Wali Kakar. He said police had...
Zelenskyy to Vance: Ukraine wants ‘security guarantees’ as Trump seeks to end Ukraine-Russia war
MUNICH — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that his country wants “security guarantees” before any talks with Russia, as the Trump administration presses both countries to find a quick endgame to the three-year war. Shortly before sitting down with Vice President JD Vance for highly anticipated talks at the...
Tkachuk brothers each score 2; U.S. wins in 4 Nations Face-Off
MONTREAL — Brady and Matthew Tkachuk came out hitting, started scoring and put together a display of brotherly dominance playing together for the first time on a big stage. The Tkachuks each scored twice, flourishing after being put on the ice at the same time, and the United States beat...
Denny McCarthy’s big finish yields lead in Genesis Invitational
SAN DIEGO — Denny McCarthy ended a miserable day in a most brilliant manner Thursday at the Genesis Invitational, closing birdie-eagle for a 4-under-par 68 on a Torrey Pines course that more than lived up to its reputation as a beast. McCarthy had a one-shot lead over Seamus Power and...
Helio Castroneves to use ‘world-class driver’ provisional to race in Daytona 500 after qualifying crash
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will race in the Daytona 500 as a special 41st driver under a new rule that allows for a “world-class driver” to receive a provisional to make the field. The Brazilian did not want to use the provisional and hoped...
Fans in Montreal boo U.S. anthem before 4 Nations Face-Off game vs. FinlandVideo
MONTREAL — Fans in Montreal booed the U.S. national anthem before the Americans’ first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Finland on Thursday night. The negative reaction to “The Star-Spangled Banner” came even after the public address announcer at Bell Centre made an announcement asking the crowd to show...
Oklahoma governor says he’ll stop plan to collect kids’ immigration statusVideo
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he will stop a plan pushed by the state’s top education official to collect the immigration status of children when they register for public school. The Republican governor said Wednesday he is a staunch opponent of illegal immigration, but that policymakers should...
New top-tier men’s soccer league coming to the United StatesVideo
The United Soccer League intends to launch a new men’s professional league in 2027-28 that will play at the top level of soccer in the U.S., the same as Major League Soccer. The USL already has a pair of leagues, the second-tier USL Championship and the third-tier USL League One....
10-minute overtime? Longer TV timeouts? 4 Nations Face-Off is an NHL testing ground
MONTREAL — Canada and Sweden traded chances back and forth, skating up and down the ice for 3-on-3 overtime that provided dazzling entertainment in the opener of the 4 Nations Face-Off. By the time Mitch Marner scored the winner for Canada, more than six minutes had elapsed. Had it been...
Jimmie Johnson seeks to make Legacy a winner after 2 lackluster years as ownerVideo
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The vision of his true NASCAR future crystallized for Jimmie Johnson at last year’s season finale. He climbed into his Toyota at Phoenix for his ninth, nondescript race of the season when he spotted them on pit road, the corporate bigwigs on their way to a...
Moore is bullish on the Saints, but noncommittal on Carr, as his 1st head-coaching gig startsVideo
METAIRIE, La. — Kellen Moore figures his upbringing as a coach’s son outweighs any concerns about his relative youth as he begins his first NFL head coaching job with the New Orleans Saints. “Everyone likes to say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert,” the 36-year-old Moore said during...
Another year, another All-Star for LeBron: How he ranks in All-Star history
SAN FRANCISCO — There was a conversation Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James had with Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic during last year’s All-Star Game that went viral after microphones picked up the exchange. The question was about who James played with in his first All-Star appearance. “It was me,...
Man whose wife was killed in a hippo attack in Africa sues the U.S. company that booked the trip
A New Jersey man whose wife was killed in a horrific hippopotamus attack last year during a safari in Africa is suing the U.S. company that arranged the trip, alleging it failed to ensure their safety and did not adequately screen and supervise the tour guides. Craig and Lisa Manders...
Order to drop New York Mayor Adams’ case roils Justice Department as high-ranking officials resignVideo
NEW YORK — Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon, and five high-ranking Justice Department officials resigned Thursday after she refused an order to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a stunning escalation in a dayslong standoff over the Trump administration prioritizing political aims over criminal...
Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow funds for foreign aid to flow again
WASHINGTON — A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift a three-week funding freeze that has shut down U.S. aid and development programs worldwide. Judge Amir Ali issued the order Thursday in U.S. district court in Washington in a lawsuit brought by two health organizations that receive...
Russian crypto expert Alexander Vinnik returns to Moscow in Russia-U.S. prisoner swap, reports say
MOSCOW — Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the United States, returned to Russia on Thursday after being freed in a swap that saw Moscow release American Marc Fogel, Russian news agencies reported. Alexander Vinnik arrived in Moscow on a flight from Turkey, where...
Charlie McAvoy and father-in-law Mike Sullivan are cherishing being on the same U.S. 4 Nations team
MONTREAL — Charlie McAvoy and Mike Sullivan have a strong connection off the ice that goes way beyond hockey. McAvoy is married to Sullivan’s daughter, Kiley, who recently gave birth to the couple’s first child. McAvoy plays defense for the Boston Bruins, Sullivan coaches the Pittsburgh Penguins and their careers...
Igloo recalls over a million coolers after handle hazard causes fingertip amputation injuries
NEW YORK — Igloo is recalling more than 1 million of its coolers sold across the U.S., Mexico and Canada due to a handle hazard that has resulted in a handful of fingertip injuries, including some amputations. The now-recalled “Igloo 90 Qt. Flip & Tow Rolling Coolers” have a tow...
