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Laschet wins battle to lead Merkel's bloc in German election

BERLIN (AP) — Armin Laschet, the governor of Germany’s most populous state, emerged victorious Tuesday from a bruising power struggle and became the candidate of Angela Merkel’s center-right bloc to succeed the longtime chancellor in the country's September election. Laschet,…

UEFA president urges Super League owners to reverse decision

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has directly appealed to the owners of English clubs in the Super League project to change their minds out of respect for soccer fans. Ceferin both cajoled and criticized the six-club English group made up of American billionaires, Arab royalty and a Russian oligarch. They launched the Super League plan in alliance with three clubs from each of Italy and Spain. Ceferin says “you made a huge mistake.” He says it doesn't matter if they acted out of “arrogance, flippancy or complete ignorance of England’s football culture.” The UEFA president says there's time to change their minds.

Russia's feared prisons follow system from Soviet Gulag era

MOSCOW (AP) — Some Russian prisons might be mistaken for vacation destinations based on their nicknames, with animal appellations that include the Black Dolphin and the Polar Owl. But a hunger strike by jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny cast…

40,000 displaced in north Mozambique after assault on Palma

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Some 40,000 displaced and urgently needing food, work suspended on a multi-billion-dollar gas investment, and scores of dead still being counted. The damage caused by Mozambique's extremist rebels in their deadly assault on the northeastern town of…

Latino groups want DOJ probe of shooting by Chicago police

Latino lawyers and community leaders will ask the Department of Justice to investigate the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy by a Chicago police officer. The group on Tuesday also will call on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to accelerate court-supervised changes to policing in Chicago, end foot pursuits by officers, and to invest federal COVID relief dollars to help young people in the neighborhood where Adam Toledo lived and died. Officer Eric Stillman was responding to a call of shots fired around 3 a.m. on March 29 when he chased Adam into a dark alley. Bodycam video released last week shows the youth appearing to drop a handgun and begin raising his hands less than a second before Stillman fires his gun and kills him.

China rejects accusations of abuses in Xinjiang

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government on Tuesday rejected accusations of abuses in the Xinjiang region after a human rights group appealed for a U.N. investigation into possible crimes against humanity. Accusations of forced labor or detentions in the northwestern region…

Teen's death puts focus on split-second police decisions

The graphic video of a police officer shooting a 13-year-old Chicago boy puts a microscope on split-second decisions with far-reaching consequences. Investigators are still sorting through exactly what happened in those tense final moments of Adam Toledo’s life. But the shooting has raised difficult questions about why the boy wasn’t given more time to comply, and whether the deadly encounter could have been prevented in the first place. Toledo was shot less than a second after he appeared to drop a handgun, turn toward the officer and begin raising his hands.

Biden's virtual climate summit: Diplomacy sans human touch

President Joe Biden is being forced to go virtual for many of his leader-to-leader talks during the coronavirus pandemic, and the resulting Zoom meetings just aren't a natural fit for the back-slapping politician. Biden's big climate summit this week with dozens of world leaders is a moment for him to play cheerleader in the fight against global warming. But a summit's not quite the same when you can't shake hands or duck into a hallway to quietly work things out. The two-day virtual climate summit that starts Thursday is not expected to be a negotiation but more a recitation of national promises.

EU expands sanctions against Myanmar military, companies

BANGKOK (AP) — The European Union expanded its sanctions against Myanmar’s military leaders and army-controlled companies ahead of a regional meeting to discuss the worsening crisis after army leaders deposed the elected government. The Council of the European Union's latest…

Write on Sports gets youngsters into sports communications

Write on Sports, now in its 16th year, helps middle school students from underserved communities develop writing skills and build self-confidence through the lens of sports and the tools of journalism.  Founded by former Associated Press sports editor Byron Yake, it has served more than 2,000 students in 40 communities with its after-school and summer sessions. Many of its students now work in journalism.

Hungary's poor Roma children struggle with digital education

Many students from Hungary's Roma minority do not have access to computers or the internet and are struggling to keep up with online education during the pandemic. Schools have been closed in Hungary amid a devastating COVID-19 surge, and classes are now being held online. But surveys show that less than half of Roma families in Hungary have cable and mobile internet and 13% have no internet at all. One Roma family in a northeastern Hungarian village said their 12-year-old has fallen behind since he can't join online classes and that the situation is the same for most Roma children. In one report, a government official acknowledged that for poor Roma children, “the transition to digital education multiplied their already existing disadvantages.”

Queen enters 'twilight' of reign after farewell to Philip

Now that the Royal Family has said farewell to Prince Philip, attention will turn to Queen Elizabeth II’s 95th birthday on Wednesday and, in coming months, the celebrations marking her 70 years on the throne. This combination of events is reminding the United Kingdom that the reign of the queen, the only monarch most of her subjects have ever known, is finite. That has triggered speculation about how long she will remain on the throne, what the monarchy will look like in the future and, for some, even whether it should continue to exist.

Learning to breathe: German clinic helps COVID long haulers

A clinic on the Baltic coast has become a major rehabilitation center for COVID-19 patients from across Germany, treating 600 people over the past year. Among them is Simone Ravera, a 50-year-old nurse who suddenly found symptoms such as severe fatigue and “brain fog" return four months after becoming infected with the virus. Ravera is one of many suffering what has been called long-term COVID-19. The clinic's medical director, Joerdis Frommhold, says helping patients learn how to breathe properly again is often a key part of the treatment, along with occupational and cognitive therapy, and psychological support. Frommhold says fostering acceptance for the condition among patients, their families and employers is also key.

Analysis: The play-in is coming, and it's giving teams hope

If this season was like most others, Washington, Chicago and Toronto would be pretty much out of the race by now. The Wizards were 17-32 not that long ago and have not spent one single day over .500 in the last three seasons. The Bulls just had a stretch where they lost 11 out of 14 games. The Raptors started 2-8 and recently had a nine-game losing streak, their worst run in a decade. And yet, they’re all absolutely in the postseason mix. The NBA’s play-in tournament is coming, meaning the races toward the bottom of the Eastern and Western Conferences over the final four weeks might be just as compelling as the ones at the tops of the standings down the stretch.

On College Football: Who would make 15-team super league?

What if college football’s most powerful teams, the biggest of the big boys, tried to do what is happening now in European soccer, where a dozen of the wealthiest and most successful clubs are in the process of forming a 15-team Super League? In a world where decades of conference allegiance goes out the window for the all mighty dollar, which schools would make the cut? Let's make a college football Super League.

Sharks' Marleau breaks Howe's NHL games played record

Patrick Marleau surpassed “Mr. Hockey” for the most games played in NHL history. Marleau skated in his 1,768th career game to break Gordie Howe’s record when the San Jose Sharks took on the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night. Though it was on the road, an exuberant pro-Golden Knights crowd gave Marleau a rousing welcome during warmups. Marleau’s wife, Christina, and four sons were in attendance, which wouldn’t be possible in San Jose, where fans still aren’t allowed during the pandemic.

Search for survivors of capsized lift boat ends

As the search for survivors of a capsized lift boat ends, attentions turn to comforting the loved ones of the dead and missing, a grim hunt for bodies and a painstaking investigation that could take as long as two years. The Seacor Power capsized on April 12. The Coast Guard on Monday said it was were suspending the search and rescue for the eight still missing. The president of Seacor Marine, which owned the boat, says they'll do everything in their power to find the remaining people. John Gellert says divers were about halfway through the vessel as of midday Monday. 

Should states set pot policy by its potency? Some say yes

A debate about whether to set marijuana policy based on potency is spreading as more states legalize cannabis. Under a law signed last month, New York will tax recreational marijuana based on its amount of THC. That's the main intoxicating chemical in cannabis. Illinois imposed a potency-related tax when recreational pot sales began last year. Vermont is limiting THC content when its legal market opens as soon as next year. Supporters say such measures will protect public health. Opponents argue that THC limits could drive people to buy illegally and amount to beginning a ban on pot again.

Asian Americans wary about school amid virus, violence

Asian American families are wrestling with whether to send their children back to classrooms as high schools, middle schools and elementary schools across the country widely reopen amid rising anti-Asian harassment. Some Asian American parents say they’re content to keep their children at home attending classes online, especially with the school year rapidly winding down and COVID-19 cases on the rise in places. Others are relenting to adolescents seeking normalcy. Asian American students have the highest rates of remote learning nationally. Just 15% of Asian American fourth graders were attending classes in-person as of February, compared with more than half of white fourth graders.

Afghanistan withdrawal draws concerns over abducted American

There are growing concerns about one American who risks being left behind as the U.S. moves to withdraw its military from Afghanistan. A contractor from Lombard, Illinois, Mark Frerichs, is believed to have been held for more than a year by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network. Frerichs was not mentioned in President Joe Biden’s address on Afghanistan last week, nor was the troop withdrawal conditioned on his release from custody. That's fueling concerns from his family and other advocates that the U.S. could lose bargaining power to get Frerichs home once its military presence is removed from the country.

Curry hits 10 3s, scores 49 in Warriors' win in Philly

Stephen Curry hit 10 3-pointers and scored 49 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 107-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Curry’s 3 that tied the game at 86-all gave him 11 straight games with 30-plus games, topping Kobe Bryant for the most by any player 33 or older. Joel Embiid had 28 points, 13 rebounds and was 11 of 14 from the free throw line for the 76ers. They played without Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris.

Amy Coney Barrett has book deal with conservative imprint

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has a book deal with a Penguin Random House imprint, The Associated Press has learned. Adrian Zackheim, who runs the conservative Sentinel imprint, confirmed Monday that he has an agreement with Barrett, who last fall was approved by the Republican-led Senate to joint the court just weeks after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Zackheim declined to provide any additional details beyond saying that the book would not be out this year. Politico reported earlier Monday that Barrett had a deal, but did not identify the publisher.

Rockets say Sterling Brown was attacked, injured in Miami

The Houston Rockets say that guard Sterling Brown was assaulted by unknown individuals after the team arrived in Miami late Sunday night, suffering cuts to his face. Brown was not playing Monday against the Heat, though the team said that was because of a recent knee injury that has kept him out for a total of five games and not the altercation. Brown sued officials in Milwaukee after getting taken to the ground, shocked with a Taser and arrested during an encounter surrounding a parking violation with police in 2018, contending in that lawsuit that police used excessive force and targeted him because he is Black.

Arkansas officials hear Baffert's appeal of drug positives

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, fined and suspended last year by Arkansas racing officials for a pair of drug positives, sat through nearly nine hours of testimony on the first day of his appeal hearing. He was hit with a 15-day suspension by stewards at Oaklawn Park after two of his horses tested positive for the painkiller lidocaine following their wins on May 2, 2020. Baffert contends it's a case of accidental contamination because of a pain patch containing lidocaine worn by his assistant, who saddled both horses.