Associated Press stories, Page 7
March Madness surges to its best TV start with viewership up 5%
NEW YORK — The NCAA Tournament is off to its best start on record. The tournament averaged 9.8 million for the first three days (the First Four on Tuesday and Wednesday along with Thursday’s first round) according to Nielsen, a 5% increase from last year. CBS and TNT began showing...
Former NL MVP McCutchen will open 18th MLB season on Rangers’ roster
ARLINGTON, Texas — Andrew McCutchen will be on the Opening Day roster for the Texas Rangers, who expect the 39-year-old former MVP outfielder to split some time at designated hitter, maybe play a few games in the field and be a mentor to their young, talented outfielders. Chris Young, the...
OnlyFans owner Leonid Radvinsky dies of cancer at 43
Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of OnlyFans, the adult content platform, has died from cancer, according to the company. He was 43. Radvinsky transformed the pornography industry with OnlyFans’ subscription-based model after acquiring the company that owns and operates the platform in 2018. “We are deeply saddened to announce the...
Supreme Court appears skeptical of late-arriving ballots, a Trump target
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ‘s conservative majority on Monday sounded skeptical of state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail ballots, a persistent target of President Donald Trump. A ruling, likely to come by late June, that bars counting ballots arriving after Election Day would send officials scrambling...
Pentagon spokesman says it will issue new press credentials but remove media offices
The U.S. Defense Department will issue new press credentials but remove media offices from the Pentagon after a judge sided with The New York Times in a lawsuit regarding limits on reporters’ access to the building, a department official announced Monday. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the agency disagrees with...
Kalshi and Polymarket rush to ban insider trading as senators move to curb prediction markets
NEW YORK — Kalshi and Polymarket, the two biggest prediction market platforms, rushed to institute new industry guardrails on Monday after two key senators announced legislation that could severely curtail the industry’s prospects. Kalshi said it would ban political candidates from trading on their own campaigns, and it would preemptively...
Trump administration to pay French company $1B to walk away from U.S. offshore wind leases
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will pay $1 billion to a French company to walk away from two U.S. offshore wind leases as the administration ramps up its campaign against offshore wind and other renewable energy. TotalEnergies has agreed to what’s essentially a refund of its leases for projects off...
Trump sued by historic preservation groups to block Kennedy Center changes
WASHINGTON — A coalition of cultural and historic preservation groups is suing to block further physical changes to the Kennedy Center ahead of a two-year closure that President Donald Trump insists is necessary to renovate the prominent performing arts venue. The lawsuit against Trump, the Kennedy Center and others in...
As demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, healthy habits are still key
Whether they’re using weekly shots or daily pills, more Americans than ever are turning to anti-obesity drugs to lose weight and boost health. About 1 in 8 U.S. adults say they are taking a GLP-1 drug, according to a recent survey by the health research group KFF. Just since January,...
People ‘bathe’ in nature to get respite from chaotic news cycle
RALEIGH, N.C. — For two hours, Claire Jefferies wanted to get away from the war in Iran and the rising gas prices and just commune with nature. And, so, she treated herself to a little forest bathing. “When I’m here, it’s almost like a protective bubble around me,” the human...
Supreme Court rejects appeal from Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from longtime Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed who has sought to test crime-scene evidence that he says will help clear him. The justices left in place a ruling against Reed from the federal appeals court in New Orleans for...
Iran built a vast camera network to control dissent. Israel turned it into a targeting tool
TEL AVIV, Israel — The role of Israel’s hijacking of Iran’s street cameras in the killing of the country’s supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime. Hundreds of millions of cameras have been installed above shops, in homes and on street corners across...
Welcome to allergy season. Here’s how to protect yourself
ATLANTA — Allergy season can be miserable for tens of millions of Americans when trees, grass, and other pollens cause runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing. Where you live, what you’re allergic to and your lifestyle can make a big difference when it comes to the severity of your...
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ actor Nicholas Brendon dies at 54
Nicholas Brendon, an actor best known for his role as a loveable underdog sidekick on the hit television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has died. He was 54. Brendon’s family announced the death in a statement posted on his social media accounts Friday. They said he died in his sleep...
North Korea says summit with Japan is off unless Tokyo drops ‘its anachronistic’ ways
SEOUL, South Korea — The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Monday a summit between her brother and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won’t happen if Japan sticks to “its anachronistic” approach. Kim Yo Jong’s statement came after Takaichi told reporters last week that she had...
How Democrats learned to stop worrying and love tax cuts
With voters’ concerns about affordability showing no sign of fading, some Democrats are rediscovering a traditionally Republican tactic for putting money back in people’s pockets — cutting taxes. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland proposes effectively ending the federal income tax on individuals making $46,000 or less annually and reducing...
Trump says Iran is eager for a deal to end the war as he extends deadline to allow for diplomacy
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. was talking with an Iranian leader and claimed the Islamic Republic was eager for a deal to end the war. He also extended a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on...
2 pilots killed when jet collides with fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia AirportVideo
NEW YORK — An Air Canada jet carrying more than 70 passengers collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, killing the pilot and copilot and injuring several others, officials said. The impact severed the cockpit, and hurled a flight attendant — still secured...
Trump places statue of Christopher Columbus near the White House
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A statue of Christopher Columbus has been placed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, the latest effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to recognize the controversial explorer. The statue is a replica of one that was tossed into Baltimore’s...
Iowa beats No. 1 seed and defending champ Florida in March Madness
TAMPA, Fla. — Alvaro Folgueiras told Bennett Stirtz he would be ready for the ball, and he delivered in the clutch. Folgueiras, the former Robert Morris standout, nailed a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining, and Iowa eliminated defending national champion Florida, sending the top-seeded Gators home with a 73-72 victory...
The media may have unmasked Banksy — again. That’s angered some art fans but not ruffled dealers
LONDON — Years before the rise of Instagram, Banksy figured out that the key to real influence lay in not being famous, exactly, but in being anonymous. The mystery of his identity has long been part of the value of his art, which for decades and across continents defied authority...
Iran threatens to ‘completely’ close Strait of Hormuz and hit power plants after Trump ultimatum
ARAD, Israel — The United States and Iran threatened to target critical infrastructure Sunday as the war in the Middle East, now in its fourth week, puts lives and livelihoods at risk throughout the region. Iran said the Strait of Hormuz, crucial to oil and other exports, would be “completely...
Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ blasts off with $80.5 million, a best for Amazon MGM, and the year
“Project Hail Mary” is bringing audiences to movie theaters in numbers the industry hasn’t seen for a non-franchise film since “Oppenheimer.” The science fiction epic starring Ryan Gosling earned around $80.5 million in ticket sales in its first weekend playing in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. Box office...
Fitzpatrick goes from disappointment to winning at Valspar Championship
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Matt Fitzpatrick took longer than usual to get over his loss last week at The Players Championship, mainly because he played so well and did so little wrong until Cameron Young won on the difference of one tee shot at the final hole. “To lose it...
Dylan Darling hits driving layup at buzzer, St. John’s beats Kansas 67-65 in March Madness thrillerVideo
SAN DIEGO — Dylan Darling hadn’t made a shot all day when he got the ball at midcourt for St. John’s with 3.9 seconds left in a tied March Madness thriller. Darling could have passed. He could have wilted. He could have missed yet again. Instead, the Red Storm’s tenacious...
