ap-breaking
Nets sign Mike James for remainder of the season
NEW YORK (AP) The Brooklyn Nets are keeping Mike James for the rest of the season.The Nets signed the guard to a contract Thursday after the expiration of his second 10-day deal.James has appeared in 11 games, including starting in Brooklyn s victory over San Antonio on Wednesday. He has averaged 7.1 points and 3.7 assists in 17.5 minutes per game.James signed his first 10-day deal on April 23 after spending the previous two seasons with CSKA Moscow. He has played most of his nine-year pro career in Europe.___More AP NBA: https: apnews.com hub NBA and https: twitter.com AP_Sports
Captain Marquinhos: No excuses for PSG s poor title campaign
PARIS (AP) The verdict on how Paris Saint-Germain s unacceptable league campaign has unraveled came from club captain Marquinhos.Eight defeats, leads carelessly thrown away, too many red cards and a recurring lack of composure have left PSG trailing Lille by three points heading into Sunday s penultimate round of games.The season after reaching its first Champions League final, PSG has fallen well short of expectations and Marquinhos makes no excuses.Since the start of the season we ve had setbacks we shouldn t have had. We ve lost games we shouldn t have (and) we re counting the amount of points we ve lost, he said after last Sunday s 1-1 draw at Rennes, in which PSG had led.It s unacceptable that PSG drops points in this way, the popular central defender added. We re 1-0 up, 2-0 up and still teams come back against us.Rather than coasting to the title as it has so often done since Qatari investors QSI took over 10 years ago, PSG is at the mercy of a Lille side which has only lost three games in a remarkably consistent campaign.The northern side has been brilliantly coached by Christophe Galtier and can seal its first title since 2011, which was just before QSI took over PSG.Lille needs four points from the remaining two games to guarantee the title, but a draw against Saint-Etienne would be enough if PSG loses to visiting Reims on Sunday.PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe is suspended for the last two matches, while star forward Neymar has missed five games through suspensionPerhaps the best example of PSG switching off in games, something which clearly irked Marquinhos after the Rennes match, was the 3-2 loss at Lorient.Despite lining up with Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi known as the Fantastic Four and costing a combined 513 million euros ($622 million) PSG conceded two late goals to a side in the relegation zone.In total, PSG has lost 13 games including five in the Champions League and the tally would have been considerably higher without goalkeeper Keylor Navas.We have to be honest, Marquinhos said. We haven t been very strong.PSG hits panic mode too often when things go wrong.Di Maria s petulant red card in the Champions League semifinal defeat to Manchester City was followed by a clumsy red for Kimpembe against Rennes.Lille holds the cards and statistics suggests the shrewd Galtier in contention to win France s best coach for the third time is unlikely to throw them away.With 20 clean sheets and 22 goals conceded in 36 games, Lille has an outstanding defense led by veteran center half Jose Fonte. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan is among the best in the league, along with Navas.Still, PSG has by far the best squad on paper and its players know they shouldn t be in this situation.If we lose the league we only have ourselves to blame, Mbappe said. It will be us who lost (the title), not Lille who won it.He spoke on Eurosport on Wednesday night after PSG reached the French Cup final on penalty kicks, after getting pegged back twice in a 2-2 draw.Mbappe, who is friends with Maignan, quickly rectified himself.Respect, he wrote on Instagram. Lille will make for a great champion if it wins.Lille has a far better record against sides in the top four than PSG, taking 13 points from six games against direct rivals. PSG has easily the worst, with four points, behind Monaco (7) and Lyon (10).PSG didn t even score against Lille, with Mbappe playing in both games, and if Lille had drawn fewer games then Galtier s side would already be champion.___More AP soccer: https: apnews.com hub soccer and https: twitter.com AP_Sports
Judge postpones trial for 3 ex-cops charged in Floyd s death
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting in the death of George Floyd will be pushed back to March 2022, in part to allow the publicity over Derek Chauvin s conviction to cool off, a judge ruled Thursday.Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao were scheduled to face trial Aug. 23 on charges they aided and abetted both murder and manslaughter. The officers co-defendant, Chauvin, was convicted of murder and manslaughter counts. All four officers also face federal charges that allege they violated Floyd s civil rights during his May 25 arrest.Judge Peter Cahill said he moved jury selection in the other officers trial to March 8, 2022, so the federal case can go forward first. He also said he felt the need to put some distance between the three officers trial and Chauvin s due to the high-profile nature of the case.The news that the trial was being pushed back came during a Thursday hearing on pretrial motions. The former officers waived their right to appear and were not in court, but their defense attorneys all agreed to the postponement. The state, via Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank, did not support the delay. It wasn t made clear at Thursday s motions hearing who originally sought the change.Chauvin, who was seen in widely viewed bystander video pressing his knee into Floyd s neck as the Black man said he couldn t breathe, was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. He s to be sentenced June 25.During Thursday s hearing, attorneys for the defense argued that prosecutors should be sanctioned after media reports that Chauvin had planned to plead guilty a year ago. Frank said the Attorney General s Office was willing to submit affidavits from personnel involved in the case to state that they were not the source of the leak. A prosecutor from the Hennepin County Attorney s Office said they would do the same.Thao s attorney, Bob Paule, said in a motion filed in February that he wants an order sanctioning the state for its role directly or indirectly in the leaking of highly prejudicial information related to potential plea agreements of co-defendants.Cahill said he would hold an evidentiary hearing on the issue in August.The New York Times reported Feb. 10 that Chauvin was ready to plead guilty to a third-degree murder charge last year but then-Attorney General William Barr rejected the agreement. The Associated Press published a similar report the next day, citing two law enforcement officials with direct knowledge of the talks. Paule alleged that the leaks came from the state, and asked that anyone who did so be barred from participating in the trial. Tom Plunkett, Kueng s attorney, echoed his statements.Attorney General Keith Ellison earlier dismissed Paule s motion as completely false and an outlandish attempt to disparage the prosecution.In a separate motion, Earl Gray, Lane s attorney, is asking Cahill to compel the state to disclose all use-of-force reports over the past 30 years after initially asking for data dating back 50 years in which a Minneapolis police officer used force and another officer intervened verbally or physically. Gray said it s necessary to show the jury that no such intervention has been made, which would call into question the state s expert testimony about the duty of officers to intervene.Prosecutors have said that request should be denied; Cahill said he would take it under advisement.Paule also filed a motion Wednesday asking the court to sanction prosecutors for allegedly failing to disclose information about the alleged coercion of a witness. Paule claimed that he Hennepin County medical examiner, Dr. Mark Baker, was coerced to include neck compression in his findings and that prosecutors knew of it.In a brief letter to Cahill, Frank said The bizarre allegations offered in support of the motion are false and wrong and we intend to file a complete response. The issue did not come up during Thursday s hearing.Paule wrote in his court filing that Baker initially said there was no physical evidence that Floyd died of asphyxiation. But after talking twice to Dr. Roger Mitchell a former medical examiner in Washington, D.C. he amended his findings to include neck compression as a factor, according to Paule.Paule said that in one of the conversations, Mitchell called Baker and told him he was going to submit an opinion piece critical of Baker s findings to the Washington Post. When Baker released final autopsy findings June 1, they included neck compression, Paule wrote, and Mitchell never submitted his piece to the newspaper.Mitchell, now chairman of the Department of Pathology at the Howard University College of Medicine, did not respond to a phone message left at the department Wednesday. A spokeswoman for Baker said they could not comment due to the pending case.Paule also took aim at Mitchell s criticism of Dr. David Fowler, a key defense witness for Chauvin who testified that the former officer was not responsible for Floyd s death. After Mitchell and other doctors sent a letter to Maryland s attorney general, criticizing Fowler s conclusions, Maryland officials announced they would review all in-custody death reports during Fowler s tenure. Paule said Mitchell s accusations had a chilling effect on Thao s ability to find medical experts unafraid to testify on his behalf.___Find AP s full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https: apnews.com hub death-of-george-floyd
Vexatious debt claim against UK PM Boris Johnson removed
LONDON (AP) A court order naming British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as owing an unpaid debt was no longer on the books Thursday, a day after Johnson s office called it totally without merit.An October 2020 county court judgment uncovered by Private Eye magazine named Boris Johnson of 10 Downing St. in London as owing 535 pounds ($755). A separate file showed the claim was made by an Yvonne Hobbs for defamation.Johnson s office initially appeared unaware of the judgment when asked about it, and later called it vexatious and spurious.An application will be made for an order to set aside the default judgment, to strike out the claim and for a declaration that the claim is totally without merit, Downing St. said in a statement.On Thursday a court official said there was no longer a county court judgment in the case.County court judgments can be issued if someone fails to respond to court action over an alleged debt, according to a government website. The judgment means the court has formally decided the money is owed, but the order can be appealed.Johnson s finances are under scrutiny, with election watchdog the Electoral Commission investigating the funding of renovations to the prime minister s official residence.Britain s parliamentary ethics watchdog is also investigating who paid for Johnson s vacation on the Caribbean island of Mustique just before the coronavirus pandemic.
St. John s extends hoops coach Anderson s deal through 2027
NEW YORK (AP) St. John s has given Big East Conference coach of the year Mike Anderson a six-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season.The university announced the deal on Thursday after Anderson delivered consecutive winning seasons in his first two years. Financial terms were not disclosed.The Red Storm posted a 16-11 record this past season, including a 10-9 mark in the conference after being picked ninth in the preseason coaches poll. It marked the first time St. John s finished with a league record of .500 or better since 2014-15.St. John s did not receive an NCAA Tournament bid and removed itself from consideration for a probable bid to the NIT due to COVID-19 precautions.In my time at St. John s, Coach Anderson and the men s basketball program have represented our University in a first class manner on the court, in the classroom and in the community, university president Father Brian Shanley said in a statement.Anderson, who won his 400th career game this past season, is one of only three active Division I coaches with at least 15 years of experience to have never had a sub-.500 season.Anderson thanked the university, his staff and players.Their faith in our vision for St. John s Basketball is humbling and I greatly look forward to carrying on our program s tradition of success for many years to come, he said.Anderson is the first St. John s coach to receive the Big East s coach of the year award in three decades. The season also saw sophomore Julian Champagnie named the league s most improved player and Posh Alexander named the freshman of the year and defensive player of the year.St. John s was 17-15 in Anderson s first season and had the Red Storm in position for a postseason berth before the season was abruptly ended by the COVID-19 pandemic.Entering his 20th year as a head coach, Anderson owns a 402-226 career record. He has led his teams to 12 postseason appearances, including nine trips to the NCAA Tournament.___More AP college basketball: https: apnews.com hub College-basketball and https: twitter.com AP_Top25
Times Square shooting suspect mulls extradition from Florida
STARKE, Fla. (AP) The man suspected of shooting and wounding three people in New York s Times Square, including a 4-year-old girl, will get a few days to consider extradition from Florida.At a brief hearing Thursday in Starke, Florida, a judge gave Farrakhan Muhammad 72 hours to consult with a lawyer on whether he will waive a full extradition hearing and agree to return to New York.He s expected back in court Sunday, according to the Bradford County court clerk.Muhammad, 31, was arrested Wednesday at a McDonald s in Starke. In New York, investigators say he wounded three people with stray bullets during some type of dispute involving his brother and others.Wendy Magrinat, a 23-year-old tourist visiting from Rhode Island, was shot in the leg. A 43-year-old woman from New Jersey was shot in the foot. The 4-year-old girl, from Brooklyn, was also shot in the leg.New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said all three victims have been released from the hospital and are expected to fully recover.
Stocks rise after three days of losses, Bitcoin drops 11%
Stocks were posting strong gains in midday trading Thursday, following three days of losses and the biggest one-day drop in the S&P 500 since February.Technology stocks, which were hurt hard earlier in the week, were among the bigger gainers. Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook were all up 1% or more.The S&P 500 was up 1% as of 11:47 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 367 points, or 1.1%, to 33,955 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was up 0.5%. It s not uncommon for markets to reverse direction after sharp gains or losses over a period of days as investors reassess markets and pause during period of volatility.Investors have had things to be concerned about. Last week s jobs report was showed fewer employers hiring than had been expected, and on Thursday the government reported that wholesale prices jumped 0.6% last month, driven by higher costs for services and food. That was more than expected and the latest indication that inflation pressures are mounting.Rising prices reflect growing economic activity after last year s global shutdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic. However investors worry inflation might disrupt the recovery or prompt central banks to withdraw stimulus and near-zero interest rates.The capital markets are clearly grappling in a tug of war, said Bill Northey, senior investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.Investors have been questioning whether rising inflation will be something transitory, as the Federal Reserve has said, or something more durable that the Fed will have to address. Currently, the central bank has maintained low interest rates in order to help the economic recovery, but concerns are growing that it will have to shift its position if inflation starts running too hot.Is there something more durable being embedded within rising prices? The next several months will not likely resolve this debate, Northey said.Bond yields rose sharply this week in response to the data but pulled back slightly on Thursday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was 1.67% compared to 1.70% the day before.In other markets, the price for Bitcoin plunged 11% after billionaire Elon Musk changed his position on the digital currency, citing the environmental impact. He said Tesla Motors would no longer accept Bitcoin as payment for its cars.Crude oil prices fell 3% after a key gasoline pipeline on the East Coast was reopened late Wednesday. The price of crude oil is now down slightly for the week. Energy companies lagged the market as prices fell. Occidental Petroleum slipped 4.1%.
Amazon seeks to hire 75,000; offers $100 to vaccinated hires
NEW YORK (AP) Amazon is seeking to hire 75,000 people in a tight job market and is offering bonuses to attract workers, including $100 for new hires who are already vaccinated for COVID-19.The jobs are for delivery and warehouse workers, who pack and ship online orders. Amazon, which already pays at least $15 an hour, gave out raises for some of its workers last month, and the company said Thursday that new hires will make an average of $17 an hour.The hiring spree comes as the company gears up for Prime Day next month, its popular sales event that has become one of the busiest shopping days of the year for Amazon.Amazon didn t say if it is having trouble finding workers, but other companies have said they are as Americans start heading out again. There s many reasons for the worker shortage: Some are fearful they ll get sick with coronavirus; others have child care issues and need to stay home to watch their children; and some businesses don t pay enough to go beyond the extra $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit.McDonald s, Chipotle and other companies have announced pay hikes to try and lure workers back. Amazon said it will offer a $1,000 sign-on bonus to new hires in many parts of the country.Mandy of its job openings are in 14 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin.Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc., which has more than 1.2 million employees worldwide, is the second-largest private employer in the U.S. after retailer Walmart.Last year alone, Amazon hired 500,000 people to keep up with a surge of orders during the pandemic as more people stayed home and shopped online._____Follow Joseph Pisani on Twitter: @ josephpisani
School nurses, health service corps part of $7.4B virus plan
WASHINGTON (AP) The government is providing $7.4 billion to expand the nation s public health capacity, including hiring school nurses to vaccinate kids, setting up a health care service corps and bolstering traditional disease detection efforts, White House officials said Thursday.Biden administration coronavirus testing coordinator Carole Johnson said it s part of a strategy to respond to immediate needs in the COVID-19 pandemic while investing to break the cycle of boom and bust financing that traditionally has slowed the U.S. response to health emergencies.We really see this as funding that can help end the pandemic and help us prevent the next one, Johnson told The Associated Press. The money was approved by Congress in President Joe Biden s coronavirus response law. Officials are now acting to pump it out to states and communities through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.A leading public health nonprofit, Trust for America s Health, welcomed the announcement.Given the fact that the core public health workforce is significantly smaller today than it was a decade ago, these are critically important steps, said John Auerbach, president of the nonpartisan group, which provides its expertise to governments at all levels. Ensuring Americans health security requires a standing-ready public health workforce. Auerbach served as an adviser to the Biden presidential transition.About $4.4 billion of the new money will go to immediate priorities in fighting the pandemic.That includes $3.4 billion for states and local health departments to step up hiring of vaccinators, contact tracing workers, virus testing technicians and epidemiologists, who are disease detectives trained to piece together the evidence on the spread of pathogens. The White House is stressing that local governments hire people from the communities being served, with an emphasis on lower-income areas.There s also $500 million for hiring school nurses, who could play a key role in vaccination now that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been cleared for use by teenagers. Johnson said that would expand the pool of trusted clinicians able to give vaccines.An additional $400 million will go to set up what s being called the Public Health AmeriCorps. It would be modeled on AmeriCorps, the volunteer program that annually deploys more than 250,000 people to serve in communities across the country. The goal of the new program would be to train and nurture aspiring young professionals interested in the public health field.All told, the money is expected to support tens of thousands of new jobs over a period of five years, Johnson said.Some of it will go to long-term investments. A pool of about $3 billion will be used to create a competitive grant program allowing states and local communities to sustain their public health efforts after the coronavirus pandemic recedes.The idea is to offer more permanent employment for community health workers hired for the COVID-19 push. They would gain a chance to continue working as public health professionals, tackling other challenges.We need the resources now, but we also need to invest for the long-term in the public health workforce, Johnson said.