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The Indianapolis 500 plans to host 135,000 spectators next month, which would make it the largest sporting event in the world since the pandemic. The attendance figure is roughly 40% of what the grandstands hold at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The number was determined after Indianapolis held the NCAA men's tournament without a significant spike in COVID-19 cases in the city. The race ran without fans last year for the first time in history. Most of the seating will be in socially-distanced grandstands. The viewing mounds in the infield will not be offered. 

Democratic lawmakers have unveiled legislation that would invest $25 billion to convert the nation’s fleet of gasoline- and diesel-powered school buses to electric vehicles. It's a component of President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan geared toward improving children’s health. The legislation unveiled Wednesday would authorize federal money over 10 years to cover the expense of purchasing electric school buses, building charging stations and providing workforce training. School buses make up 90% of the nation’s bus fleet and typically carry 25 million children each day. Emissions from diesel engines may contribute to respiratory illnesses in children and have been linked to poor academic performance.

After the aborted attempt to form a European Super League, Liverpool owner John Henry is attempting to regain the trust of fans with an apology video. Manchester United co-owner Joel Glazer also expressed regret for failing to show enough respect for soccer's deep-rooted traditions. They withdrew from the 12-team project along with the other four English rebel clubs, imploding the planned split from the existing Champions League to join a largely closed breakaway European competition. 

The guilty verdict in the trial over George Floyd's death was not just celebrated in America. It signaled hope for those seeking racial justice and fighting police brutality on the other side of the Atlantic and beyond, where Black Lives Matter has also become a rallying cry. The fight is far from over, activists in Britain, France and South Africa, said Wednesday. A Minneapolis jury found ex-police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts of murder and manslaughter in the May death of Floyd. “The name of George Floyd today brings this hope," said Assa Traore, a leading voice among those fighting alleged police brutality in France.

President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Justice Department’s criminal division is facing scrutiny over a plea deal he brokered with a Louisiana district attorney who was accused of coercing sexual favors from as many as two dozen women. Kenneth Polite was New Orleans' top federal prosecutor in 2016 when he struck the deal that allowed longtime St. Charles Parish District Attorney Harry Morel to escape sexual misconduct charges and serve less than two years for obstructing a federal investigation. Morel's accusers and a former FBI agent say Polite lacked the courage to seek justice in the case.

Is there a more woebegone movie genre than the video game adaptation? In the 27 years since the first video game movie, “Super Mario Bros.,” these adaptations have been so regularly mocked that you might think the genre was -- like a teetering fighter in “Mortal Kombat” — on its last legs. And yet, Hollywood is increasingly viewing video games as one of the ripest, richest veins of intellectual property outside of comic books. The video game movie isn’t finished. It might even be just pressing “Start.” A new “Mortal Kombat” movie opening this Friday signals a new cycle for video game movies. 

The Man in Black is about to get his own day in Arkansas. The Arkansas House on Tuesday gave unanimous final approval to a bill that would make Feb. 26 “Johnny Cash Day,” sending it to Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who plans to sign it. The day won’t be a legal holiday but instead will be a memorial day marked by an annual proclamation from the governor. It is the state’s latest effort to honor Cash, who was born in tiny Kingsland, about 60 miles south of Little Rock. The Legislature in 2019 voted to replace its two statues at the U.S. Capitol with ones of Cash and civil rights leader Daisy Bates.

Caleb Farley was the first top prospect to make the decision that has added a whole new layer of uncertainty to the annual crapshoot that is the NFL draft. The talented Virginia Tech cornerback decided back in July to skip the 2020 season because of the coronavirus. Farley had plenty of players follow his lead, including several others set to be high draft picks next week such as LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Oregon tackle Penei Sewell, Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. Now it’s up to NFL teams to figure out how much to weigh those decisions in their draft evaluations.

NEW YORK (AP) — When a killer whale slowly circled back toward wildlife photographer Brian Skerry in the middle of the ocean after discarding the giant sting ray it was devouring, panic is not what came to mind: “Part of…

European Union officials have unveiled proposals for reining in high-risk uses of artificial intelligence such as live facial scanning that could threaten people’s safety or rights. The draft regulations from the EU’s executive commission made public on Wednesday include rules on the use of the expanding technology in activities such as choosing school, job or loan applicants. They also would ban artificial intelligence in a few situations, such as government “social scoring" systems. The proposals are the 27-nation bloc’s latest move to maintain its role as the standard-bearer for technology regulation. EU officials say they want to balance the need to protect data privacy against the need to encourage innovation. 

Congressional leaders and colleagues have used a memorial service for Rep. Alcee Hastings to remember him as a straight-talking champion for the disadvantaged who overcame hurdles in his own life. The Florida Democrat died early this month at age 84 after serving nearly three decades in the House. The socially distanced ceremony was held in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall, a few steps from the House chamber. Fellow lawmakers recalled the professional and social bonds they’d formed with Hastings. No. 3 House Democratic leader James Clyburn of South Carolina called Hastings a consoler, a counselor and a friend. 

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece says its tourism services will open on May 15 when a ban on travel between different regions of the country will also be lifted. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the announcement in a televised address…

Utah's governor has defended his position to support a minority scholarship program sponsored by the Utah Jazz despite criticism from some who have called the program racist. FOX13 reported Monday that Republican Gov. Spencer Cox on a radio show last week was asked about an initiative started under Jazz owner Ryan Smith for the team to offer a four-year scholarship to an underrepresented or minority student for each of the team's wins this season. Cox told a caller that he did not think the program was racist and later reinforced his comments on Twitter. He was supported by retired NBA legend Dwyane Wade.

Several North Amercian hockey leagues were unable to hold full seasons or play at all because of the coronavirus pandemic. That put a dent in hockey's developmental pipeline. Some draft-eligible players relocated to Europe just to show their development. On Tuesday, the Ontario Hockey League abandoned its plans to play this season. U.S. college, European and the other three Canadian junior leagues got on the ice, making the evaluation of teenagers an even more difficult job.

PARIS (AP) — France will impose new entry restrictions on travelers from India to fight a contagious coronavirus variant spreading in that country, an official said Wednesday. The restrictions come in addition to those previously announced regarding four other countries…

BERLIN (AP) — German lawmakers on Wednesday approved a proposal by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to mandate uniform restrictions in areas where the coronavirus is spreading too quickly, among them closures and a nighttime curfew. As parliament's lower house debated…

SpaceX has bumped its next astronaut launch by a day because of dangerously high waves and wind offshore. Liftoff is now scheduled for early Friday morning from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Officials announced the flight delay Wednesday for the two Americans, one Japanese and one French. The astronauts will spend six months at the International Space Station, arriving aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The capsule has the ability to abort the launch all the way to orbit in case of an emergency. That's why SpaceX needs good weather not only at the Florida launch site, but all the way up the East Coast and across the North Atlantic to Ireland.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Since the coronavirus pandemic struck Spain, a glass pane has separated Xavier Antó and Carmen Panzano for the first prolonged period of the couple’s 65-year marriage. Antó, age 90, appears three or four times a week…

Japanese residents with tickets to the Tokyo Olympics may not know until weeks before the games open if they’ll be allowed to attend. Fans from abroad have already been barred. Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto says a decision on venue capacity may not be made until June. She had previously promised that decision for this month. Hashimoto says “we are still studying the timing.” Hashimoto spoke after she and CEO Toshiro Muto took part in an online briefing with the IOC executive board in Switzerland. She says “I guess we need a little more time to make a proper judgment.”

The new season of spring shows has begun, and viewership is way up by all accounts. We’re not talking about screens, which we’ve all been glued to during the pandemic. Less noticed is another trend: people tuning in to nature…

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that he did nothing wrong when he exchanged text messages with a wealthy industrialist and promised he would “fix” the tax rules for him. The BBC reported that it had…