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Indians not allowing headdresses, painted faces at games

Cleveland Indians fans won't be allowed inside Progressive Field wearing Native American headdresses or face paint. While moving forward with a plan to change their name, the Indians announced a new fan dress policy for the 2021 season. The team said fans will either be ejected or denied admission for behavior that includes wearing headdresses or “face paint styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian cultures and traditions.” The Indians said earlier this year that they are changing their name, joining a nationwide movement to ban racist symbols and slogans. The name change will not take effect until the 2022 season at the earliest.

Bored games: Teams find fun ways to fill gaps at tourneys

The men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments in Indianapolis and San Antonio aren’t all COVID-19 tests, basketball and contact tracing. But being in quasi-isolation with any movement inside and outside hotels restricted, teams had to get creative during the days and weeks between games and nasal swabs to find ways to stay entertained. There have been Wiffle ball games and ping-pong tournaments. There are boat rides, TikTok videos and Uno. Lots and lots of Uno, in fast-paced games in which the cards fly in a frenzy. It's been a taxing journey for players, coaches and support staff cooped up in hotels.

Blinken reaffirms Trump-era ruling on Hong Kong autonomy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday reaffirmed a determination made last year by the Trump administration that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous and remains undeserving of special treatment by the United States. In a notice…

Ruh roh! Biden pooch drops doggie doo in White House hallway

One of President Joe Biden's dogs has left some poop in a White House hallway. Reporters accompanying Jill Biden on a trip to California spotted the brown stuff Wednesday as they waited just inside the mansion to be taken to the first lady's motorcade. It's unclear which pooch — Major or Champ — dropped the poo. This week, the younger of Biden's two German shepherds, Major, was involved in his second biting incident in March. The first lady's spokesperson says Major “nipped someone while on a walk” Monday and the person was treated and returned to work without injury. The dogs recently spent time back home in Delaware, where Major received training.

Welcome back, fans! MLB openers bring Soto, Tatis and crowds

Major League Baseball is set to start the season Thursday and opening day brings a welcome change for fans. Crowds are being allowed back in the ballparks again. No fans were permitted last year during a season shortened to 60 games because of the coronavirus pandemic. All 30 teams are scheduled to play Thursday, with Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Mike Trout among the stars in action. The first game of the season is at Yankee Stadium, where Gerrit Cole is set to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Weather could be a factor in some spots. Rain is in the forecast on the East Coast and temperatures might in the 30s at Wrigley Field. 

Archbishop: Harry, Meghan didn't wed before Windsor service

LONDON (AP) — The archbishop of Canterbury has confirmed that he legally married Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle in May 2018, despite the couple’s claim that they had another, private, ceremony three days earlier. During an interview…

AP interview: EPA head committed to 'scientific integrity'

The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency is taking steps to restore what he calls “scientific integrity” at the EPA. And one way Michael Regan is trying to do that is by reversing Trump administration actions that sidelined many academic scientists as advisers in favor of industry figures. Regan says in an Associated Press interview that the “reset” of two advisory panels will return the EPA to its time-honored practice of relying on advice from a balanced group of experts. Regan says “scientific integrity is a foundational value for EPA.” And he says he's is committed "to ensuring that every single decision we make meets rigorous scientific standards.’’ 

UConn's Paige Bueckers is AP women's player of the year

UConn star Paige Bueckers is the first freshman ever to win The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year. Bueckers was informed she won the award by coach Geno Auriemma during a team video session and broke down as she accepted it in front of her teammates. Bueckers received 21 votes from the 30-member national media panel that chooses the weekly AP Top 25. Dana Evans of Louisville was second with four votes. The AP started the award in 1995. Bueckers is the 12th UConn player to win it.

Maryland's Brenda Frese is the AP women's coach of the year

Maryland coach Brenda Frese is The Associated Press women’s basketball coach of the year for the second time in her career. Maryland lost five starters from last year’s Big Ten championship, but didn’t miss a beat. It won the conference for the sixth time in seven years. The Terrapins lost in the Sweet 16 to Texas. Frese received eight votes from the 30-member national media panel that votes on the weekly Top 25. Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer and North Carolina State coach Wes Moore each received seven votes. Frese also won in 2002 when she was coaching Minnesota. 

Amid AstraZeneca setback, Germany banks on homegrown vaccine

MARBURG, Germany (AP) — As Germany ponders how to accelerate its sluggish coronavirus vaccination campaign after yet another hitch involving the AstraZeneca shot, a production facility in the historic pharmaceutical center of Marburg may hold part of the answer to…

EXPLAINER: What we know about AstraZeneca blood clot reports

German officials have decided to limit the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in people under 60 after more unusual blood clots were reported in a small number of people who received the shots. Earlier this month, more than a dozen countries, including Germany, suspended their use of AstraZeneca over the blood clot issue. After Europe’s drug regulator said the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks, most restarted, though some imposed the kinds of restrictions Germany has. The seesawing back and forth on who can take the vaccine has raised concerns that its credibility could be permanently damaged.

Warm weather in northwest Europe raises fresh virus worries

BRUSSELS (AP) — Much of northwest Europe is basking in unusually warm weather on Wednesday, prompting many people to throw caution to the wind despite a worrying uptick in coronavirus cases in parts of the continent. Temperatures in Belgium, which…

China reports COVID-19 outbreak on border with Myanmar

BEIJING (AP) — At least nine people have tested positive for COVID-19 in a Chinese city on the border with Myanmar, health officials said Wednesday. Five are Chinese citizens are four are Myanmar nationals, the Yunnan Province Health Commission said…

Chrissy Teigen graces cover of People's 'Beautiful Issue'

Chrissy Teigen will grace the front of People magazine’s “The Beautiful Issue” in a cover story that delves into her evolved definition of beauty, facing racism growing up and her heartbreaking miscarriage last year. The magazine revealed the cover Wednesday of the annual issue, which hits newsstands Friday. On this year’s cover, Teigen appears smiling along with her children Luna, 4, and Miles, 2, with the quote “I’ve learned how strong I am.” The 35-year-old model and cookbook author is married to R&B crooner John Legend, who was named Sexiest Man Alive by People last year.

Ball in their court: Justices take on NCAA restrictions

With the March Madness basketball tournament ongoing, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case about how colleges can reward athletes who play Division I basketball and football. The NCAA says if the former college students who brought the case win, it could erase the distinction between professional and college sports. Under current NCAA rules, students can’t be paid, and the scholarship money colleges can offer is capped at the cost of attending the school. The NCAA defends its rules as necessary to preserving the amateur nature of college sports. Wednesday's Supreme Court hearing likely will result in a decision by summer.

Hungarian journalists demand access to COVID wards

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — More than two dozen Hungarian media outlets on Wednesday sent an open letter to the government demanding greater transparency and access to hospitals for journalists covering the COVID-19 pandemic. Only Hungary's state media have been allowed…

China's Huawei says 2020 sales rose despite US sanctions

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese tech giant Huawei said Wednesday it eked out higher sales and profit last year but growth plunged after its smartphone unit was hammered by U.S. sanctions imposed in a fight with Beijing over technology and security.…

Final Four set, a question left: Can anybody beat Gonzaga?

Gonzaga is so easy on the eyes when attacking that it's easy to overlook how fast they got the ball back. So when someone asked coach Mark Few about their defense before an Elite Eight matchup against USC, he jumped at the chance. Few lauded their “off-the-chart performances” and “terrific halves” in the less-glamorous side of the game. A day later, his defense dropped an anvil on the Trojans to make the Final Four. Michigan, the bracket’s other No. 1 seed, played decent defense against everyone in a UCLA jersey, except Johnny Juzang, and man, did he make them pay.  

UK economy ended 2020 better than previously thought

LONDON (AP) — Official figures show that the British economy ended 2020 on a stronger footing than previously thought but that it suffered a bigger than anticipated fall in output in the immediate aftermath of the first coronavirus lockdown. In…

US, China consulted on safety as their crafts headed to Mars

BEIJING (AP) — As their respective spacecrafts headed to Mars, China and the U.S. held consultations earlier this year in a somewhat unusual series of exchanges between the rivals. China's National Space Agency confirmed Wednesday that it had working-level meetings…

A busy Thursday in golf and tennis awaits the Korda family

Nelly Korda keeps asking her parents if she can book their flight to watch her and her sister play in the LPGA’s first major of the year this week. She wants them there. She’s equally thrilled that they’re not there yet. Let’s explain: The Korda sisters — Jessica and Nelly — have made a name for themselves in golf already, and now their younger brother Sebastian is now having his breakout week in the tennis world. It’ll make for a very busy Thursday for the family: Jessica and Nelly have the opening round of the ANA Inspiration in California, while Sebastian has the biggest match of his young career in the Miami Open quarterfinals. 

Analysis: More games, more money, more flexibility for NFL

There was never any doubt the NFL would grow its regular-season schedule to 17 games once the labor agreement with the players union was reached a year ago. More games, more money and more flexibility for America’s most popular sport. Here we are with the preseason reduced to three games, except for the teams in the Hall of Fame game. And the regular season kicking off on Sept. 9 and ending exactly four months later. And here we are with plenty of winners.