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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.

 
Rachel Balkovec cheered, wins debut managing Yanks...
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Cheered by many fans who came just to see her make history, Rachel Balkovec debuted with a win Friday night as the first woman to manage the affiliate of a Major League Baseball team. Balkovec guided the New York Yankees’ Class A Tampa Tarpons over Lakeland 9-6. “I’ve never heard my name chanted like that,” Balkovec said. “It was so much fun. Again, I just see, it’s like I see me sitting in the stands,...

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US Navy intends to decommission some of...
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Navy that once wanted smaller, speedy warships to chase down pirates has made a speedy pivot to Russia and China — and many of those recently built ships could be retired. The U.S. Navy wants to decommission nine ships in the Freedom-class of littoral combat ships — warships that cost about $4.5 billion altogether to build. The Navy contends in its budget proposal that the move would free up $50 million per ship annually...

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Auston Matthews sets Maple Leafs season record...
DALLAS (AP) — Auston Matthews broke the Toronto season goals record with Nos. 55 and 56, the second 2:10 into overtime to give the Maple Leafs a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. Matthews, who had tied Rick Vaive’s 40-year-old mark of 54 goals two games earlier, broke that with his one-timer from the bottom of the circle to the left of goalie Scott Wedgewood after taking a pass back from Mark Giordano on a power...

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Grubauer, Kraken blank sinking Blackhawks 2-0
CHICAGO (AP) — Philipp Grubauer made 29 saves for Seattle’s second shutout, and the expansion Kraken blanked the sliding Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 on Thursday night. Alex Wennberg scored his 10th goal in the second period and Jordan Eberle added his 18th late in the third to seal it. Grubauer was only lightly tested by the Blackhawks, who dropped their sixth straight game (0-4-2) and occasionally were booed by their home crowd. Grubauer, who recorded his 20th career shutout, also...

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Sacramento mourns 6 lives lost in gang-related...
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Six huge photographs wreathed in flowers and garlands lined a downtown street in California’s capital city Wednesday, each with a small memorial of bouquets, candles and cards on a stretch of sidewalk dedicated to the six people who were gunned down last weekend in a gang dispute that turned into a mass shooting. Candlelight vigils, somber press conferences and private moments between friends and family members have been held this week as Sacramento’s downtown community...

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Another Benzema hat trick gives Madrid 3-1...
LONDON (AP) — Back-to-back Champions League hat tricks just reinforce the enduring value of Karim Benzema’s clinical finishing to Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti sees so much more being provided by the 34-year-old forward he compares to a fine wine. “He is more of a leader every day,” the Madrid coach said after Benzema’s goals produced a 3-1 victory over Chelsea in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. “He feels more and more important in this team and I think that’s what...

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Avalanche first in NHL to 50 wins,...
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche clinched a playoff spot with the help of two goals from Nathan MacKinnon in a 6-4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night. It’s the fifth straight playoff berth for the Avs, who also became the first NHL team to 50 wins this season and have ripped off nine wins in 11 games. MacKinnon scored his 23rd and 24th of the season, while J.T. Compher got his his 14th of the year....

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Olofsson rallies Sabres in 4-2 win over...
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Victor Olofsson had a goal and an assist in the third period to lead the Buffalo Sabres past the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Tuesday night. Jeff Skinner, Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens also scored for the Sabres, and Craig Anderson made 32 saves in the opening game of a home-and-home set with the Hurricanes. Earning a point for the ninth time in 10 games (6-1-3), Buffalo held off being eliminated from the playoffs for an...

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Faksa’s shorthanded goal pushes Stars past Islanders...
DALLAS (AP) — Radek Faksa’s shorthanded goal midway through the second period gave the Dallas Stars a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. Marian Studenic and Tyler Seguin also scored for the Stars, who moved into the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. They’re a point ahead of Vegas and one point behind Nashville. Jake Oettinger made 19 saves. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders, who trail Washington by 11 points for the...

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California shooting victims remembered for kind hearts
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A father of four. A best friend with a positive personality. A vivacious partygoer. The six people who were killed during a mass shooting in California’s capital city were remembered by their friends and family Monday as police worked to piece together what happened. Dozens of rapid-fire gunshots rang out early Sunday in the crowded streets of Sacramento, leaving three women and three men dead and another 12 people wounded. On Monday morning, small memorials...

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Music stars return to Venezuela after skipping...
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The ground shook at the instant the voice of Mexican music star Alejandro Fernandez collided with the deafening cheers of fans gathered for his first concert in Venezuela in over a decade. After an initial shocked pause at seeing the artist finally take the stage, the crowd, cellphones in hand, joined him in singing “Sin Tantita Pena” — “Without Too Much Pity.” “It’s beautiful to be in Venezuela,” he said to screams and whistles from...

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Airlines cancel more than 3,300 US flights...
Airlines have canceled more than 3,300 U.S. flights this weekend and delayed thousands more, citing weather in Florida and other issues. FlightAware, a website that tracks flights, noted major disruptions at several Florida airports, including Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, as well as Baltimore and other airports around the country. JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska Airlines, Frontier, Spirit and American Airlines were most affected, according to FlightAware. Local news reported storms in Florida on Saturday. Several airlines said Sunday that operations...

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Russia war could further escalate auto prices...
DETROIT (AP) — BMW has halted production at two German factories. Mercedes is slowing work at its assembly plants. Volkswagen, warning of production stoppages, is looking for alternative sources for parts. For more than a year, the global auto industry has struggled with a disastrous shortage of computer chips and other vital parts that has shrunk production, slowed deliveries and sent prices for new and used cars soaring beyond reach for millions of consumers. Now, a new factor —...

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Sanchez scores in LAFC’s 4-2 win over...
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Ilie Sanchez scored for Los Angeles FC on Saturday in a 4-2 victory over Orlando City. Sanchez put LAFC (4-0-1) ahead for good at 3-2 in the 51st minute. LAFC also got one goal each from Kwadwo Opoku, Jesus Murillo and Brian Rodriguez. Alexandre Pato and Joao Moutinho racked up one goal each for Orlando (2-2-2). Orlando outshot LAFC 12-8, with six shots on goal to four for LAFC. Maxime Crepeau saved four of the...

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Live updates | Ukrainian journalist killed in...
KYIV, Ukraine — A prominent Ukrainian photojournalist who went missing last month in a combat zone near the capital has been found dead. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s office said in a statement Saturday that Maks Levin was killed with two gunshots, fired allegedly by the Russian military. Levin’s body was found in the Huta Mezhyhirska village on Friday. Levin, 40, worked as a photojournalist and videographer for many Ukrainian and international publications. Levin has been missing since March 13, when...

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