Government and politics
FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2017, file photo, former NBA player and players union deputy Roger Mason, left, listens as entertainer Ice Cube, right, announces the launch of the BIG3, a new 3-on-3 professional basketball league, in New York. Hundreds of sports-related businesses got in line for the government-funded Payroll Protection Plan designed to cushion the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. None of the four North American major sports leagues — the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball — applied, but both Major League Soccer and the National Women's Soccer League were represented. Rapper Ice Cube's 3-on-3 basketball league says it returned almost half of the $1.6 million it received, but givebacks were rare. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
Sports jumps on PPP bandwagon, but big leagues take a pass

By The Associated Press Jul. 06, 2020 10:07 PM EDT

FILE - A Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol honor guard folds the retired Mississippi state flag after it was raised over the Capitol grounds one final time in Jackson, Miss., in a July 1, 2020 file photo. A draft policy being circulated by Pentagon leaders would ban the display of the Confederate flag in Defense Department work places or public areas by service members and civilian personnel. The policy has not yet been finalized or signed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Pentagon draft policy would ban Confederate flag displays

By Lolita C. Baldor Jul. 06, 2020 05:00 PM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks before the start of the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday n Daytona Beach, Fla. NASCAR’s layered relationship with Trump took a sharp turn Monday, July 6, 2020, when Trump blasted the series for banning the Confederate flag and wrongly accused the sport’s only full-time Black driver of perpetrating “a hoax” when a crew member found a noose in the team garage stall.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Trump sideswipes NASCAR, Wallace over flag and noose

By Jill Colvin And Jenna Fryer Jul. 06, 2020 10:09 AM EDT

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal from a penalty shoot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
City-Madrid can go ahead in England because of exemptions

Jul. 05, 2020 10:42 AM EDT

Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta holds the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Watford at the Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Saturday, July 4, 2020. (Matthew Childs/Pool via AP)
The Latest: Sports stars to be exempt from UK quarantine

By The Associated Press Jul. 05, 2020 06:48 AM EDT

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Kyle Weatherman drives through a turn during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, July 3, 2020. The car carries the hashtag #standfortheFlag and features a We Stand for the National Anthem paint scheme. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Paint schemes go political as NASCAR season heats up

By Michael Marot Jul. 03, 2020 06:12 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sunday, June 28, 2020, file photo, David Flynt of Hattiesburg, stands outside the state Capitol with other current Mississippi flag supporters in Jackson, Miss. "I love this flag," Flynt said. Mississippi's Republican-controlled Legislature voted Sunday to remove the Civil War emblem from the state flag. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Confederate flag losing prominence 155 years after Civil War

By Jay Reeves Jun. 30, 2020 12:37 AM EDT

FILE - In this Thursday, March 19, 2020 file photo, a mask lies on a lawn in Willowbrook, Ill. On Friday, June 26, 2020, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting that wearing face masks can cause fungal and bacterial pneumonia. There’s no evidence that normal use of face masks can cause fungal or bacterial infections. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

By Ali Swenson, Beatrice Dupuy, Arijeta Lajka And Amanda Seitz Jun. 26, 2020 05:46 PM EDT

Salvador Hernandez, a groom at Emerald Downs Racetrack in Auburn, Wash., wears a mask as he watches a race Wednesday, June 24, 2020, on the first day of thoroughbred horse racing at the track since all professional sports in Washington state were curtailed in March by the outbreak of the coronavirus. No spectators were allowed, but online wagering was available and the races were streamed. Organizers hope to continue racing into October on a modified schedule. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The Latest: Canucks say Vancouver out of NHL hub city race

By The Associated Press Jun. 25, 2020 05:35 PM EDT

Fund created to help self-employed; fans allowed at NASCAR

By Kathy Mccormack Jun. 25, 2020 02:29 PM EDT
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A fund has been created to help sole proprietors in New Hampshire experiencing hardship during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Chris Sununu...

Editorial Roundup: New York

By The Associated Press Jun. 25, 2020 01:13 PM EDT
Recent editorials of statewide and national interest from New York’s newspapers: Some Republicans Aren’t in Denial About the Virus. Trump...

President Donald Trump supporters cheer as Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the BOK Center, Saturday, June 20, 2020, in Tulsa, Okla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
5 things to know today

By The Associated Press Jun. 22, 2020 05:40 AM EDT

Police say pedestrian killed by racing car in Kansas City

Jun. 21, 2020 04:53 PM EDT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 23-year-old woman was struck and killed by a car racing down the street early Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri, police said. ...

FedEx swaps NASCAR logos to spotlight Civil Rights Museum

By Jenna Fryer Jun. 21, 2020 03:23 PM EDT
Denny Hamlin's longtime sponsor FedEx replaced its logos for NASCAR's race at Talladega Superspeedway to instead feature the National Civil Rights Museum. ...

FILE - In this Monday, March 2, 2020 file photo, a man wearing a mask as a precaution against passing or receiving germs casts his ballot on the eve of Super Tuesday, at a voting center in Sacramento, Calif. On Friday, June 19, 2020, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting all California registered to vote as an independent will not be able to vote Republican in 2020. Information contained in the post does not apply to the general election this fall. During California’s presidential primary election on March 3, independent voters, also known as “no party preference” voters, could vote in the Democratic presidential primary without changing their party affiliation, but not in the Republican primary. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

By Ali Swenson, Beatrice Dupuy, Arijeta Lajka And Amanda Seitz Jun. 19, 2020 03:33 PM EDT

List of sports events affected by the coronavirus pandemic

By The Associated Press Jun. 18, 2020 12:59 PM EDT
AQUATICS Asian water polo championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, from Feb. 12-16 canceled. Diving Grand Prix in...

List of sports events affected by the coronavirus pandemic

By The Associated Press Jun. 12, 2020 03:06 PM EDT
AQUATICS Asian water polo championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, from Feb. 12-16 canceled. Diving Grand Prix in...

A woman wears a face mask as a precaution against the new coronavirus outbreak as she receives free staple food packages provided by the government for low-income residents in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, June 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
The Latest: NC judge orders race track to halt for pandemic

By The Associated Press Jun. 11, 2020 07:33 PM EDT

In this Saturday, May 23, 2020 photo, race fans pray at the Ace Speedway on in the rural Alamance County community of Altamahaw near Elon, N.C. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration has ordered closed a small stock-car track that’s allowed large crowds to gather repeatedly for weekend races well above COVID-19 limits for mass gatherings. Cooper’s health secretary says Ace Speedway in Alamance County is an “imminent hazard” for the virus' spread and can't reopen unless it creates a safety plan to keep fans away. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP)
Judge orders N.C. track with large crowds to stop races

Jun. 11, 2020 05:17 PM EDT

FILE - In this June 3, 2020, file photo, a protester waves a city of Chicago flag emblazoned with the acronym BLM for Black Lives Matter, outside the Batavia, Ill., City Hall during a protest over the death of George Floyd. Black Lives Matter has gone mainstream — and black activists are carefully assessing how they should respond. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
Black Lives Matter goes mainstream after Floyd's death

By David Crary And Aaron Morrison Jun. 11, 2020 09:53 AM EDT