Charlotte Hornets hire Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee to be their next head coach

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets named Charles Lee as their head coach on Thursday, hoping he’ll turn around the long-struggling NBA franchise. The 39-year-old Lee joins the Hornets after serving as the Boston Celtics top assistant coach. Lee will complete the Celtics’ playoff run before joining the Hornets on a full-time basis. Lee spent … Read more

Movie Review: Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt deserve more than Netflix’s ‘Mother of the Bride’

Romantic comedies are in a destination wedding rut. Perhaps it’s a collective post-COVID wanderlust kicking in, or, more cynically, some combination of tax credits and a place producers want to spend time. But between “ Ticket to Paradise,” “Anyone But You,” “ Shotgun Wedding ” and now Netflix’s “ Mother of the Bride,” the conceit … Read more

Steward Health Care says it is selling the 30+ hospitals it operates nationwide

Steward Health Care said it plans to sell off all its hospitals after announcing this week that it filed for bankruptcy protection. The Dallas-based company, which operates more than 30 hospitals nationwide, said it does not expect any interruptions in its hospitals’ day-to-day operations, which the company said will continue in the ordinary course throughout … Read more

Torchbearers in Marseille kick off the Olympic flame’s journey across the country

MARSEILLE, France — Torchbearers are carrying the Olympic flame Thursday through the streets of France’s southern port city of Marseille, a day after it arrived on a majestic three-mast ship for the welcoming ceremony. The torch begins its 11-week journey across the country with about 10,000 bearers passing through more than 450 towns until the … Read more

Eurovision explained, from ABBA to Zorra, as the song contest is shadowed by the Israel-Hamas war

MALMO, Sweden — Scores of musicians, hundreds of journalists and thousands of music fans are gathering in the Swedish city of Malmo, where the Eurovision Song Contest is building towards Saturday’s exuberant, glitter-drenched final. Even Eurovision can’t escape the world’s divisions, however. Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are also expected in the city for demonstrations urging … Read more

How a Texas man is testing out-of-state abortions by asking a court to subpoena his ex-partner

AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas man is petitioning a court to authorize an obscure legal action to find out who allegedly helped his former partner obtain an out-of-state abortion, setting up the latest test of the reach of statewide abortion bans. As some states work to expand abortion access and others impose more limits following … Read more

Protest song ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ now banned in city after appeals court overturns ruling

HONG KONG — An appeals court on Wednesday granted the Hong Kong government’s request to ban a popular protest song, overturning an earlier ruling and deepening concerns over the erosion of freedoms in the once-freewheeling global financial hub. “Glory to Hong Kong” was often sung by demonstrators during huge anti-government protests in 2019. The song … Read more

Mateo’s go-ahead hit in 12th helps Orioles survive Kimbrel’s blown save, beat Nats and avoid sweep

WASHINGTON — Jorge Mateo drove in the go-ahead run with a 12th-inning single, and the Baltimore Orioles survived another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Washington Nationals 7-6 on Wednesday night and avoid being swept for the first time in nearly two years. The Orioles blew two-run leads in the ninth and … Read more

After appearing on red carpet at Met Gala, Nelly Korda goes for a sixth straight win on LPGA Tour

CLIFTON, N.J. — Things are going well for Nelly Korda these days, that’s for sure. The 25-year-old has won a record-tying five straight tournament starts. She has the No. 1 ranking in the world, along with the 2024 lead in earnings, scoring average and points for the player of the year award. And on top … Read more

Pennsylvania will make the animal sedative xylazine a controlled substance

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will sign legislation to criminalize the misuse of a powerful animal tranquilizer called xylazine that is showing up in supplies of illicit drugs and contributing to a growing number of human overdose deaths, his office said Wednesday. Xylazine, which is being mixed into fentanyl and other illicit opioids, … Read more