Associated Press stories, Page 954
India train crash kills over 280, injures 900 in one of nation’s worst rail disasters
BALASORE, India — Rescuers found no more survivors in the overturned and mangled wreckage of two passenger trains that derailed in eastern India, killing more than 280 people and injuring hundreds in one of the country’s deadliest rail crashes in decades, officials said Saturday. Chaotic scenes erupted on Friday night...
Jack Eichel making most of 1st postseason for Golden Knights
LAS VEGAS — Jack Eichel didn’t know what to expect when the NHL playoffs began in April. He just knew he was eager to experience the postseason for the first time in his eight-year career — and what a time it’s been for him. Eichel is a major reason the...
West Virginia state trooper fatally shot, suspect being sought
BEECH CREEK, W.Va. — A state police officer was fatally shot Friday in southern West Virginia, and a suspect was being sought, authorities said. Sgt. Cory Maynard was killed in the shooting, Gov. Jim Justice said in a statement, adding that he was “absolutely heartbroken.” He and first lady Cathy...
Report: Buffalo’s snow-removal equipment, communications fell short during deadly blizzard
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo’s snow-removal fleet was no match for the historic Christmas week blizzard that left 31 people dead in the city, and officials fell short in issuing warnings and providing shelter, according to a report released Friday. The 175-page review of the city’s response by New York University’s...
Suh, Matsuyama ride hot putts on steamy day at the MemorialVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Justin Suh signed for a 6-under-par 66 at the Memorial and then made a few stops to speak with the media. His putter stayed with him the entire time, which probably was wise. The way it behaved Friday, when he holed eight putts from the 10-foot range...
Mile-High NBA advantage: Denver altitude helps Nuggets go unbeaten at home in playoffsVideo
DENVER — Joking around before the start of the NBA Finals, Charles Barkley and Grant Hill took hits from oxygen masks they brought onto the set for a pregame TV show. But the thin air in Denver is no joke. There’s a reason it’s known as the Mile High City....
Biden orders 20-year ban on oil, gas drilling to protect tribal sites outside New Mexico’s Chaco
SANTA FE, N.M. — Hundreds of square miles in New Mexico will be withdrawn from further oil and gas production for the next 20 years on the outskirts of Chaco Culture National Historical Park that tribal communities consider sacred, the Biden administration ordered Friday. The new order from Secretary of...
Protests erupt outside Los Angeles elementary school’s Pride month assembly
LOS ANGELES — Police officers separated groups of protesters and counterprotesters Friday outside a Los Angeles elementary school that has become a flashpoint for Pride month events across California. People protesting a planned Pride month assembly outside the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Saticoy Elementary School wore T-shirts emblazoned with...
As legal gambling surges, some states want to teach teens about the risks
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — As a high school senior, Nick was blessed with a deadly accurate jump shot from the three-point range — something he was quick to monetize. He and his gym classmates not far from the Jersey Shore would compete to see who could make the most baskets,...
Newly discovered stone tools drag dawn of Greek archaeology back by a quarter-million years
ATHENS, Greece — Deep in an open coal mine in southern Greece, researchers have discovered the antiquities-rich country’s oldest archaeological site, which dates to 700,000 years ago and is associated with modern humans’ hominin ancestors. The find announced Thursday would drag the dawn of Greek archaeology back by as much...
Tanks, F-16 jets part of long-term aid for Ukraine, won’t be ready for upcoming offensive, U.S. says
PARIS — America’s top military officer says training for Ukrainian forces on advanced U.S. Abrams tanks has started, but those weapons crucial over the long term in trying to expel Russia from occupied territory will not be ready in time for Kyiv’s imminent counteroffensive. The tank training got underway as...
Fort Bragg drops Confederate namesake for Fort Liberty
FORT LIBERTY, N.C. — Fort Bragg shed its Confederate namesake Friday to become Fort Liberty in a ceremony some veterans said was a small but important step in making the U.S. Army more welcoming to current and prospective Black service members. The change was part of a broad Department of...
Disney lawsuit judge removes himself from case but not for reasons cited by DeSantis
ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal judge overseeing the First Amendment lawsuit that Walt Disney Parks filed against Gov. Ron DeSantis and others is disqualifying himself, but not because of bias claims made by the Florida governor. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said in a court filing Thursday that it...
Justice Department says it won’t charge Mike Pence over handling of classified documents
NEW YORK — The Department of Justice has informed former Vice President Mike Pence ‘s legal team that it will not pursue criminal charges related to the discovery of classified documents at his Indiana home. The department sent a letter to Pence’s attorney on Thursday informing him that, after an...
Jill Biden arrives in Cairo as part of Mideast tour aiming to empower women
CAIRO — Jill Biden arrived in Cairo on Friday, on the second leg of her six-day trip across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe that seeks to empower women and promote education for young people. The first lady arrived in the Egyptian capital from Amman, Jordan, where she attended...
Drought, water overuse prompt Arizona to limit construction in some fast-growing parts of Phoenix
PHOENIX — Arizona will not approve new housing construction on the fast-growing edges of metro Phoenix that rely on groundwater thanks to years of overuse and a multi-decade drought that is sapping its water supply. In a news conference Thursday, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced the restrictions that could affect some...
Churchill Downs implements safety, performance standards to address recent spate of horse deathsVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Horse racing’s oversight authority and Churchill Downs have each announced additional safety and health measures in the wake of 12 recent deaths since late April at the home of the Kentucky Derby. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) will conduct additional post-entry screening of horses to...
Jokic gets triple-double, Nuggets roll past Heat 104-93 in Game 1 of NBA FinalsVideo
DENVER — Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets were facing some questions going into their first NBA Finals, and their answers came in resounding fashion. No, a week and a half off didn’t hurt them. And, no, the NBA’s biggest stage isn’t too big, either. Jokic got a triple-double in...
Just days to spare, Senate gives final approval to debt ceiling deal, sending it to BidenVideo
WASHINGTON — Fending off a U.S. default, the Senate gave final approval late Thursday to a debt ceiling and budget cuts package, grinding into the night to wrap up work on the bipartisan deal and send it to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law before the fast-approaching deadline. The...
Journalists to strike at the largest U.S. newspaper chain
Journalists across the U.S. will walk off their jobs next week at roughly two dozen newsrooms run by Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the the country, their union said Thursday. The mostly one-day strike, which will start Monday, aims to protest Gannett’s leadership and cost-cutting measures imposed since its...
Riley avoids big numbers for 67 on tough day at MemorialVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — Davis Riley opened with a 67 at the Memorial to finish atop the leaderboard after the opening round for the second straight year. And that’s where the similarities end. Riley birdied three of his last four holes Thursday afternoon when the turf was firm and the wind...
Man pleads guilty to picking up Yellowstone bison calf that was rejected by herd, euthanized
MAMMOTH, Wyo. — A man from Hawaii pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge alleging he picked up a bison calf in Yellowstone National Park, causing the animal’s herd to reject it and leading park officials to kill it rather than allow it to be a hazard to visitors. A federal...
Golden Knights out to fulfill owner’s quest to win Stanley Cup in 6th yearVideo
LAS VEGAS — Drivers were directed to the overflow parking lot Thursday morning, and a line at least 30 deep waited and hoped to get into the Vegas Golden Knights’ practice. It was like 2018 all over again. Except this Knights team is no longer the unexpected first-year expansion club...
Beloved New York swan babies rescued after mother was eaten by family, police say
The village of Manlius in upstate New York is mourning the loss of Faye, a swan who was stolen from the town’s pond over the weekend along with her four cygnets. The cygnets, or baby swans, were recovered, but officials say the mama swan was eaten. “The mother swan was...
Oath Keeper who guarded Roger Stone before Jan. 6 attack gets more than 4 years in prison
WASHINGTON — A member of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group who was part of a security detail for former President Donald Trump ‘s longtime adviser Roger Stone before storming the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Thursday to more than four years in prison. Roberto Minuta, who was seen on...
