Clem Burke, multifaceted drummer of iconic rock group Blondie, has died

Clem Burke, whose versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades of music that spanned from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes, has died. He was 70. The band said in a statement on its website Monday that he died from cancer but no additional details were provided. He started playing the drums when he was 14. In the 1970’s, he answered a band’s ad in the Village Voice, kicking off his decades-long career with lead singer Debbie Harry and the rest of his Blondie bandmates. In 2006 Burke and the other original members of Blondie were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Mega Millions tickets rise to $5, but the lottery promises more giant jackpots

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Mega Millions players will get slightly better odds and should start seeing more billion-dollar jackpots, but at a cost — literally — with tickets for the multistate lottery more than doubling in price from $2 to $5. The new ticket price is in place for Tuesday's drawing. Lottery officials are betting that the swollen jackpots they’re expecting will catch the public’s attention and lead to an accompanying surge in sales. The higher ticket price means the jackpot can start at $50 million, rather than the previous $20 million, and the grand prize is expected to grow more quickly.

Bogus report on tariff pause briefly lifted markets before White House denied it

NEW YORK (AP) — A bogus rumor that President Donald Trump was considering a pause in tariffs briefly lifted markets Monday before the White House shot down the unfounded reports. The confusion — which was amplified on social media and by some traditional media outlets — lasted less than a half hour but reflected a jittery mood on Wall Street as stocks plunged over worries that Trump’s tariffs could torpedo the global economy. The origin of the false report was unclear but it appeared to be a misinterpretation of comments made by Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, during a Fox News interview earlier Monday morning.

Microsoft workers say they've been fired after 50th anniversary protest over Israel contract

Microsoft has fired two employees who interrupted the company’s 50th anniversary celebration to protest its work supplying artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military, according to a group representing the workers. Microsoft accused one of the workers in a termination letter Monday of misconduct “designed to gain notoriety and cause maximum disruption to this highly anticipated event.” Microsoft says the other worker had already announced her resignation, but on Monday it ordered her to leave five days early.  The protests began Friday when Microsoft software engineer Ibtihal Aboussad walked up to a stage where an executive was giving a livestreamed presentation.

Praise be, loyal ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ fans: Propulsive final season promises a satisfying catharsis

Praise be! The sixth and final season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale' is upon us. And though the Hulu drama is still a dark show — “Gilead’s gonna Gilead,” as Commander Lawrence says — this season is faster-paced and lighter, promising fans redemption and much-needed catharsis. Expect to see fewer languid closeups into June’s tear-filled eyes: there's stuff to get done. Star, producer and sometime director Elisabeth Moss says this time, characters will be forced to choose between good and evil. Moss also says the eight-year run had a profound influence on her career. The first three episodes drop Tuesday.

UConn finishes season at No. 1 in AP women's basketball poll for first time since 2021

UConn has capped its season at No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll one day after winning its 12th national championship. The Huskies received all 31 votes after beating South Carolina 82-59 for the title. The Gamecocks, who started the season at No. 1, were the unanimous second choice. UCLA, Texas and Southern California round out the top five. A record five teams held the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 this year.

Jay North, TV's mischievous Dennis the Menace, dies at 73

LAKE BUTLER, Fla. (AP) — Jay North, who starred as the towheaded mischief maker on TV’s “Dennis the Menace” for four seasons starting in 1959, has died. He was 73. Longtime friend Laurie Jacobson and booking agent Bonnie Vent said North died Sunday at his home in Florida and had colon cancer. North was 6 when he was cast as the smiling troublemaker in the CBS sitcom adaptation of the popular comic strip. Often wearing a striped shirt and overalls, Dennis’ antics frequently frustrated his retired neighbor George Wilson. The show ran on Sundays until 1963. After that it was a fixture for decades in syndication.

Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record by scoring his 895th

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Ovechkin has broken Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most goals in NHL history by scoring the 895th of his career. Ovechkin made hockey history on Sunday in a game against the New York Islanders. He scored on countryman Ilya Sorokin for the first time, doing it a power play with 12:34 left in the second period. The 39-year-old Russian superstar did it even after missing 16 games in November and December because of a broken leg. Sorokin became the record-extending 183rd different goaltender Ovechkin has beaten during his two-decade career in the league.

John Lithgow wins best actor at the UK stage Olivier Awards for exploring Roald Dahl's dark side

LONDON (AP) — American actor John Lithgow has won the best actor trophy at the London stage Olivier Awards for exploring the dark side of children’s writer Roald Dahl in “Giant.” Backwards-biographical story “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was named best new musical at the awards. The Oliviers were handed out Sunday and are Britain’s equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Awards. Lesley Manville was named best actress for “Oedipus.” “Giant” won three prizes including best new play. “Benjamin Button” also won three, as did a boisterous outdoor production of “Fiddler on the Roof” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. It won the prize for best musical revival.

'A Minecraft Movie' delivers Hollywood a much-needed box-office hit

“A Minecraft Movie” is smashing all box office projections. According to studio estimates Sunday, the video game adaptation earned $157 million domestically and $144 million internationally for a $301 million global debut. It's the biggest of the year and broke the record for a video game adaptation previously held by “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” “A Minecraft Movie” nearly doubled expectations and also helped narrow the year-to-date deficit compared with last year's box office performance. Industry performance is now down 5% compared with a year ago at this time. It had been down 13%. Second place in theaters this week went to “A Working Man,” followed by “The Chosen: Last Supper—Part 2” and “Snow White.”