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Thailand faces growing outbreak ahead of New Year travel

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities struggled to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak just days before the country's traditional Songkran New Year’s holiday, when millions of people travel. Health officials reported 559 new infections on Friday, following increases over the previous…

Myanmar junta attacks again as spokesman defends crackdown

YANGON (AP) — Security forces in Myanmar cracked down heavily again on anti-coup protesters Friday even as the military downplayed reports of state violence. Reports on online news outlets and social media said at least four people were killed in…

Dustin Johnson's Masters reign ends with missed cut

Dustin Johnson is scheduled to be in Butler Cabin on Sunday evening, draping the green jacket over the shoulders of the Masters champion. That’ll be his only official appearance at Augusta National this weekend. Johnson — the world No. 1 player and reigning Masters champion — bogeyed three of his final four holes Friday and missed the cut by two shots. He’s the 11th defending champion to miss the 36-hole cut. Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and Lee Westwood also dropped out.

Turner homers, Dodgers beat Nats 1-0 on champs' ring day

Justin Turner homered in the sixth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their World Series championship ring ceremony day with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals. Walker Buehler pitched six scoreless innings for the Dodgers, who won a pitchers’ duel in their home opener without injured star outfielders Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger. Joe Ross threw five strong innings of two-hit ball for the Nationals, who lost their third straight after starting the season late and short-handed due to coronavirus cases and quarantines. Corey Knebel struck out the side in the ninth for his second save, completing the shutout by four Dodgers pitchers.

Hill sharp, Kluber roughed up as Rays beat Yankees 10-5

Rich Hill pitched six strong innings, Austin Meadows led a hit parade against Corey Kluber and New York’s bullpen, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Yankees 10-5 to snap a four-game skid. Hill, a 41-year-old lefty who’s played 17 seasons with 10 teams, allowed four runs and four hits — all with two outs in the third inning — before retiring his final 10 batters. Hill struck out seven without issuing a walk, and Tampa Bay scored five early runs off Kluber in his second start for the Yankees. Meadows had three of the Rays’ 13 hits, one of five Tampa Bay players with a multi-hit game. 

Senate filibuster's racist past fuels arguments for its end

WASHINGTON (AP) — Once obscure, the Senate filibuster is coming under fresh scrutiny not only because of the enormous power it gives a single senator to halt President Joe Biden’s agenda, but as a tool historically used for racism. Senators…

Column: Finau has quite a resume except for glaring omission

Tony Finau has put together quite a resume — with one glaring omission. He's still missing consequential victory. As Finau says, “I’ve had a really successful career, but not quite a winning career.” Well, this would be quite a week to mark that one off the to-do list. Frankly, he deserves it. The perennial close-but-no-cigar member of the PGA Tour, Finau has positioned himself again to deliver a breakthrough win. He carded a 6-under 66 in the second round of the Masters, leaving him just three strokes behind leader Justin Rose heading to the weekend.

LEADING OFF: Judge still sore; Jays' Hernández to C-19 IL

Aaron Judge’s health is once again a concern for the New York Yankees. The star slugger has missed two games with soreness in his left side, and manager Aaron Boone wasn’t sure if Judge would be able to play Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 2017 AL Rookie of the Year was off to a hot start, and New York is hoping that won’t be interrupted by a trip to the injured list. Judge missed 142 games spanning 2018-20 for various injuries. Elsewhere, Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernández is on the COVID-19 injured list after he was exposed to someone with a positive coronavirus case outside of the team. 

Nas, Eve, Snoop, Aaliyah's mom react to death of rapper DMX

Hip-hop artists and celebrities paid homage to rapper DMX who died Friday at 50. In separate Instagram posts, Nas called him “Gods poet" while Eve praised him as “one of the most special people I have ever met.” Chingy recalled touring with DMX and being inspired by his style and struck by how “he always showed me love.” Former Def Jam executive Lyor Cohen remembered him as a “wonderful, caring father." A statement from the family says the Grammy-nominated rapper died at a hospital in White Plains, New York, with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days.

ADL: Fox should fire Carlson for white-supremacist rhetoric

The Anti-Defamation League has called for Fox News to fire prime-time opinion host Tucker Carlson because he defended a white-supremacist theory that says whites are being “replaced” by people of color. An ADL spokesman says the group has criticized Carlson before and noted his history of anti-immigration language. But it is the first time ADL has called for Carlson to be fired. He is Fox News' most popular personality. Fox News did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The white-nationalist “great replacement theory,” otherwise known as “white genocide,” says people of color are replacing white people through immigration in the Western world.

After Scott Rudin bullying exposé, there are mostly crickets

NEW YORK (AP) — How have Hollywood and Broadway responded to an exposé detailing routine abuse and bullying by producer Scott Rudin? Mostly, with crickets. The Hollywood Reporter’s cover story Wednesday on Rudin was, undoubtedly, a must-read for anyone in…

EXPLAINER: 'Contributing' factors in Floyd death key to case

Doctors charged with determining the cause of an individual’s death try to learn all they can about the person’s life. That also includes what death certificates describe as contributing conditions _ things that played a role in someone's death but did not cause it to occur. Two medical examiners testified Friday in former Officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial that an autopsy found George Floyd had heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use. They told jurors that all contributed, but Floyd died because of the way police restrained him.

Dodgers receive World Series rings in pregame ceremony

The Los Angeles Dodgers have received their World Series rings in front of the loyal hometown fans who didn’t get to witness their 2020 championship run in person. Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts and the Dodgers collected their jewelry before Los Angeles’ home opener. The team also raised a championship banner to the roars of a Chavez Ravine crowd that made up for its pandemic-limited numbers with outsized noise. The Dodgers were well aware their ring ceremony was a cathartic moment for both the players and their millions of fans who were forced to enjoy their first title run in 32 years from afar.

Hearings result in 13 of Texans QB's accusers being ID'd

The names of 13 of the 22 women who have filed lawsuits accusing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment will be made public following court hearings. The 13 women have sued under the name Jane Doe. During two court hearings Friday, Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, asked that their names be publicly identified so his client can “have a chance at properly defending himself.” The women's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, argued against releasing their names. He said doing so could put their lives in danger. He said one woman who spoke publicly at a Tuesday news conference has already received death threats.

After Scott Rudin bullying exposé, there are mostly crickets

How have Hollywood and Broadway responded to an exposé detailing routine abuse and bullying by producer Scott Rudin? Mostly, with crickets. The Hollywood Reporter’s cover story Wednesday on Rudin was, undoubtedly, a must-read for anyone in the film, television and theater businesses. Stories about a Hollywood heavyweight throwing glass bowls, staples and baked potatoes at underlings are hard to put down. But if Hollywood has taken steps to reform following a #MeToo upheaval that began with sexual abuse allegations against another much-rewarded uber-producer, Harvey Weinstein, the initial response to The Hollywood Reporter’s story on Rudin suggests the industry is less eager to curb cultures of verbal abuse and workplace toxicity.  

Virus-battered Canucks aim to complete condensed season

The Vancouver Canucks are recovering from the NHL’s worst COVID-19 outbreak but believe they can complete the pandemic-condensed season. The team has not played since March 24. An outbreak has ripped through the team over the past week and a half. Twenty-five 25 people — 21 players and four coaches -- have tested positive, and one additional player being deemed a close contact. The team physician says there has been a “whole range” of symptoms but no one has needed to be hospitalized. General manager Jim Benning says many of the players are feeling better. Benning adds: “We still have family members that are getting sick and I think the players worry about that.”

Tech company gains help push S&P 500 to record high

Wall Street capped another week of gains with more milestones Friday, as strength in technology and health care stocks helped push the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average to all-time highs. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% for its fourth…

Gaetz faces probe by House ethics over potential misconduct

The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation of Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, citing reports of sexual and other misconduct by the Florida Republican. The deepening of the scrutiny of the congressman comes as Gaetz has retained two prominent New York attorneys while facing a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls. The House panel’s bipartisan probe is one of the first official indications Gaetz’s party leaders are willing to scrutinize his actions. Gaetz has not been charged with a crime, has denied any wrongdoing and has sent fundraising appeals that portray him as a victim of a “smear campaign.” 

Olympic Gold: Men's gymnastics struggling to survive

The cutback in NCAA athletic programs because of the pandemic is being felt acutely in men's gymnastics. For decades, Division I programs have produced an overwhelming majority of the US Olympic team. But the number of Division I programs is shrinking. The University of Minnesota and the University of Iowa will stop offering it as a scholarship sport at the end of the month. That will drop the number of Division I schools to 11. USA Gymnastics, several NCAA administrators and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee are working together to help produce a solution.

Report: Ex-NFL player's brain probed for trauma-related harm

The brain of the former NFL player who killed five people in South Carolina before fatally shooting himself will be tested for a degenerative disease that has affected a number of pro athletes. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy has been shown to cause violent mood swings and other cognitive disorders. York County Coroner Sabrina Gast told McClatchy Newspapers on Friday that she had gotten approval from Phillip Adams’ family for the procedure to be included as part of his autopsy. The Medical University of South Carolina will be working with Boston University, which has a CTE Center. According to its website, the center conducts research on the long-term effects of repetitive brain trauma in athletes and military personnel.

Study: Facebook delivers biased job ads, skewed by gender

Facebook is showing different job ads to women and men in a way that might run afoul of anti-discrimination laws, according to a new study. University of Southern California researchers who examined the ad-delivery algorithms of Facebook and LinkedIn found that Facebook’s were skewed by gender beyond what can be legally justified by differences in job qualifications. Men were more likely to see Domino’s pizza delivery driver job ads on Facebook, while women were more likely to see Instacart shopper ads. The trend also held in higher-paying engineering jobs at tech firms and perpetuated the existing gender breakdown at those companies. 

Virus knocks 80% off Atlantic City casino profits in 2020

New Jersey gambling regulators say the coronavirus outbreak sent profits plunging at Atlantic City's casinos by more than 80% last year. But despite those dismal numbers, seven of the nine casinos still managed to eke out a profit in 2020. The state Division of Gaming Enforcement reported Friday that the nine casinos collectively posted $117.5 million in gross operating profits in 2020. That was down from nearly $594 million a year earlier, before the pandemic forced casinos to close for 3 1/2 months, and limited their operations even after reopening. Gross operating profit reflects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and other expenses.

Group to study more justices, term limits for Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has ordered a study on overhauling the Supreme Court, creating a bipartisan commission Friday that will spend the next six months examining the politically incendiary issues of expanding the court and instituting term limits…

Caitlyn Jenner considers run for California governor

Caitlyn Jenner is considering a run for California governor. The reality TV personality and former Olympian is consulting with Republican advisers about whether she will join the field of candidates seeking to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a likely recall election this year. A spokesperson for the Republican Governors Association says Jenner spoke to the group's executive director about a potential run. The celebrity activist and longtime Republican would stand out in a field that so far has failed to attract a nationally known contender. Election officials are reviewing petition signatures to determine if the recall qualifies for the ballot.