New Zealand city removes statue of its ‘murderous’ namesake
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The New Zealand city of Hamilton on Friday removed a bronze statue of the British naval officer for whom it is named — a man...
White House eyes travel from Mexico as source of virus spike
WASHINGTON — The White House is exploring the possibility that travel from Mexico may be contributing to a new wave of coronavirus infections, rather ...
GOP picks Jacksonville, Florida, for Trump convention speech
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Jacksonville, Florida, has been selected to host the celebration marking President Donald Trump’s acceptance of his party’s nomina...
Adviser: China will honor trade deal, wants better US ties
BEIJING — Beijing will honor its trade deal with the U.S. and wants to see better ties with Washington, senior Chinese officials said Thursday.
Puerto Rico to reopen beaches, gyms after 3-month lockdown
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico’s governor announced Thursday that she will lift nearly all restrictions aimed at curbing coronavirus cases, which...
Dr. Amy Acton resigns; guided governor to praise on pandemic
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The health director who helped Ohio's Republican governor earn glowing reviews for his pandemic response resigned Thursday after a fe...
Court backs Trump administration on virus safety at work
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration does not have to issue an emergency rule requiring employers to protect workers from the coronavirus, a federal ...
Trump says he’ll pursue police use-of-force standard
DALLAS — President Donald Trump said Thursday he would pursue an executive order to encourage police departments to meet “current professional standar...
Former Michigan gymnast says doctor assaulted him in 1969
DETROIT — A former gymnast at the University of Michigan said he tried to talk to his coach about being assaulted by a campus doctor during a routine ...
Judge orders N.C. track with large crowds to stop races
GRAHAM, N.C. — A North Carolina judge on Thursday ordered a small stock-car track to halt racing after state health officials declared large weekend c...
Hands Off! Halls of fame adapt to coronavirus concerns
As part of a $22 million, court-to-dome renovation, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame replaced the static plaques honoring inductees with ...
Floyd death spurs action in Minn. sports for societal change
MINNEAPOLIS — Eric Kendricks woke up distressed shortly after George Floyd was killed just a few miles from the stadium where the Minnesota Vikings pl...
Black Tulsans call Trump rally plan ‘a slap in the face’
OKLAHOMA CITY — Black community and political leaders called on President Donald Trump to at least change the Juneteenth date for a rally kicking off ...
Chicago investigating officers ‘lounging’ during unrest
CHICAGO — More than a dozen Chicago police officers and supervisors were captured on video “lounging” inside a congressional campaign office last mont...
Flag ban fallout: Now comes the tricky part for NASCAR
NASCAR's decision to ban the Confederate flag from its races and venues grabbed headlines and stars like actress Reese Witherspoon and New Orleans Sai...
With his sights now on Senate, Bullock still battling Trump
BILLINGS, Mont. — Steve Bullock never got to square off against President Donald Trump before dropping out of the Democratic presidential primary last...
Kelly Clarkson seeks divorce from husband of nearly 7 years
LOS ANGELES — Kelly Clarkson has filed for divorce from her husband of nearly seven years, Brandon Blackstock.
Egypt to reopen tourist destinations less hard-hit by virus
CAIRO — Egypt will reopen select tourist destinations to international charter flights starting July 1, the Cabinet said Thursday, allowing travelers ...
Senate GOP readies policing bill after Floyd death, protests
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are narrowing on a package of proposed policing changes after George Floyd's death that would create a national databa...
Final tests of some COVID-19 vaccines to start next month
The first experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. is on track to begin a huge study next month to prove if it really can fend off the coronavirus, w...
Not set in stone: Statues fall as Europe reexamines its past
LONDON — From Confederate monuments in the United States to statues of British slave traders, memorials erected in honor of historical figures have be...
Senate panel authorizes subpoenas in new Russia probe
WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee swiftly moved forward on Thursday with its investigation of the Justice Department’s Russia probe, voting ...
Trump picks Tulsa for return of signature campaign rallies
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is planning to hold his first rally of the coronavirus era on June 19 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And he says he’s plannin...
Pick me up off the floor, Norah Jones asks on her new album
NEW YORK — The title of Norah Jones’ new album, “Pick Me Up Off the Floor,” has two chief meanings.
NHL camps to open July 10 if league, players agree to resume
The NHL and NHL Players' Association gave the go-ahead Thursday for teams to open training camp on July 10 in the next step forward toward completing ...
Promoter behind Fury-Joshua deal provokes outrage in Ireland
DUBLIN — The boxing promoter helping to arrange the all-British heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is the subject of dialogue bet...
Syria’s Assad fires his PM amid worsening economic crisis
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday fired his prime minister, a month ahead of elections and as the economic crisis worsens an...
US long-term mortgage rates mostly steady; 30-year at 3.21%
WASHINGTON — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates were mostly steady this week, continuing to hover near all-time lows.
For tennis and golf, tournaments without fans come at a cost
When he first contemplated the prospect of a U.S. Open without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Tennis Association’s chief revenue o...
Protesters topple Jefferson Davis statue in Virginia capital
RICHMOND, Va. — Protesters pulled down a century-old statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in the former capital of the Confederacy, adding ...