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Suborbital space tourism finally arrives | FCC prepares to run public C-band auction | The big four in the U.S. launch industry — United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman — hope to be one of two providers that will receive five-year contracts later this year to launch national security payloads starting in 2022. | China’s launch rate stays high | The International Space Station is the largest ever crewed object in space.

 
Musk brought internet to Brazil’s Amazon. Criminals...
ATALAIA DO NORTE, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian federal agents aboard three helicopters descended on an illegal mining site on Tuesday in the Amazon rainforest. They were met with gunfire, and the shooters escaped, leaving behind an increasingly familiar find for authorities: Starlink internet units. Starlink, a division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has almost 4,000 low-orbit satellites across the skies, connecting people in remote corners of the Amazon and providing a crucial advantage to Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. The...

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Honduras ditching Taiwan raises larger geopolitical concerns
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Honduras’ decision to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China is yet another sign of growing Chinese influence in Latin America. For decades the Asian superpower funneled billions of dollars into investment and infrastructure projects across the region. Now, as geopolitical tensions simmer between China and the Biden administration, that spending has paid off. Honduras’ decision was the second foreign policy coup in a week for China, which brokered an agreement between Iran...

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Trevor Bauer signing met with little reaction...
TOKYO (AP) — The signing of Trevor Bauer to a one-year contract by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars generated little reaction Wednesday in the Japanese media. The 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12, three weeks after an arbitrator reduced his suspension imposed by Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred from 324 to 194 games. The penalty followed an investigation into domestic violence, which the pitcher has denied. Since his release,...

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Stocks tumble on Wall Street on renewed...
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are back to falling on Wall Street Wednesday as worries worsen about the strength of banks on both sides of the Atlantic. The S&P 500 was 1.3% lower in midday trading, while markets in Europe fell more sharply as shares of Switzerland’s Credit Suisse tumbled to a record low. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 461 points, or 1.4%, at 31,694 as of 11:15 a.m. Eastern time after earlier being down as many...

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US says Russian warplane hits American drone...
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said. But Russia insisted its warplanes didn’t hit the MQ-9 Reaper drone. Instead, it said the drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into the water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets that had been scrambled to intercept it...

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2 ‘The Voice of Holland’ ex-stars face...
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Two former stars of “The Voice of Holland” will be charged with sex offenses linked to the once-popular Dutch talent show, prosecutors said Tuesday. A case was dropped against a third man for lack of evidence. The show was taken off the air more than a year ago after a sexual misconduct scandal hit the TV ratings juggernaut in one of the most serious #MeToo reckonings to hit the Dutch entertainment world. The show...

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India enthuses over Oscars for ‘Naatu Naatu,’...
HYDERABAD, India (AP) — India celebrated its two historic Academy Awards with enthusiasm befitting the high-energy best original song “Naatu Naatu.” The dance anthem from the blockbuster Telugu-language action epic “RRR” is the first from an Indian film to earn a nomination and win and has dazzled audiences everywhere with its energetic tempo and choreography. “The Elephant Whisperers” was named best short documentary at Sunday’s night’s ceremony in a first for an Indian production. The documentary, which is streaming...

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AP source: Bills rework Allen, Miller deals...
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have worked their way under the salary cap in time for the free-agent signing period by freeing up more than $30 million in space after restructuring the contracts of quarterback Josh Allen and edge rusher Von Miller, a person with direct knowledge of the moves confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday night. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not publicly disclosed the contract restructurings,...

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Confirmed: Global floods, droughts worsening with warming
The intensity of extreme drought and rainfall has “sharply” increased over the past 20 years, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Water. These aren’t merely tough weather events, they are leading to extremes such as crop failure, infrastructure damage, even humanitarian crises and conflict. The big picture on water comes from data from a pair of satellites known as GRACE, or Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, that were used to measure changes in Earth’s water...

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Bryant Street, DC’s newest food hall, is...
The newest addition to MRP Realty’s expansive community and entertainment center development in Northeast D.C.’s Edgewood neighborhood is the Bryant Street Market food hall. It officially opens on March 17, with five food vendors and a sixth coming soon. A rendering of the soon-to-open Bryant Street Market Food Hall in D.C. (Courtesy MRP Realty) Neighbors got a preview of the food hall and sampled food from some of the vendors a week before the scheduled opening. Initial vendors at...

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Bank stocks tumble; others rise on hopes...
NEW YORK (AP) — Bank stocks are continuing to drop Monday as Wall Street worries about what may be next to topple following the second- and third-largest bank failures in U.S. history. But much of the rest of the market is rising on hopes the fear will force the Federal Reserve to take it easier on its economy-rattling hikes to interest rates. The S&P 500 was 0.6% higher in midday trading after charging back from an early drop of...

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Yeoh, Fraser feel the love at Vanity...
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett locked in a long embrace, their bare, muscle-bound arms wrapped around each other. They whispered, laughed and squealed with glee as nearly every phone in the vicinity came out to take photos. Vanity Fair’s annual post- Oscars party was full of such moments of warmth and joy as Sunday night led into Monday morning after a drama-free Academy Awards, with none of the head-shaking heaviness that hung over last...

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Connor McDavid puts NHL on notice with...
Connor McDavid is must-see entertainment and not just for hockey fans. The best player in the world is having such an off-the-charts year that his peers can’t help but watch his highlights. The Edmonton Oilers captain has already set career highs with 55 goals and 127 points, and there are still 15 games left in the regular season. “He’s from a different planet,” Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said. McDavid’s latest act has been as a goal-scorer after spending...

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Oscars 2023 live updates: Latest news from...
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Follow along for real-time updates on the 2023 Oscars from The Associated Press — on the decidedly not red carpet, inside the Dolby Theatre and behind the scenes. Live updates are brought to you by AP journalists in Los Angeles and around the country. ___ SCENES FROM THE CHAMPAGNE CARPET Jessica Chastain and Nicole Kidman shared an intimate moment, with both stars in glittery sequins. Chastain blew Kidman as a kiss as they separated, roving...

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Stars arrive at Oscars looking to snap...
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A year after Will Smith strode on stage at the Dolby Theatre and slapped Chris Rock in the face, the Oscars are reconvening Sunday for a ceremony that will try to move past one of the most infamous moments in Academy Awards history. Stars are streaming down the red carpet — or, this year, the champagne-colored carpet — at the Dolby in Los Angeles. After several days of rain in and around Los Angeles, the...

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