Bill Chappell

Jack Ramsay, who coached the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA title before embarking on a long career as a basketball analyst for ESPN, has died at age 89, the network said Monday. The Hall of Fame coach had been battling cancer.

Ramsay "coached 20 years in the NBA, during ...

_{This post was updated at 1:35 p.m ET}

Rep. Michael Grimm of New York, who has been under investigation for fraud and campaign finance irregularities, turned himself in to federal agents early Monday. The Staten Island Republican and former FBI agent is facing a 20-count federal indictment, including charges of ...

Saying the Seattle Seahawks kept San Francisco 49ers fans from being able to pull for their team in January's NFC title game, a 49ers fan is suing the NFL, claiming the practice of limiting ticket sales to pro-Seahawks markets amounts to "economic discrimination." He is seeking $50 million in damages.

One of the eight military observers who were arrested by pro-Russian separatists has been freed, reportedly for medical reasons. The observers were detained Friday after separatists accused them of being NATO spies.

As we reported Saturday, the observers were taken on Friday, the same day leaders of the world's ...

Minneapolis has designated the second Monday of October, the federal Columbus Day holiday, as Indigenous Peoples Day. The city council adopted the plan after hearing concerns that hailing Columbus as the discoverer of America is inaccurate and ignores the history of indigenous people.

Last week, Indigenous Peoples Day supporter and ...

President Jacob Zuma led Freedom Day celebrations in Pretoria Sunday, as South Africa marked the 20th anniversary of democratic rule. The nation held its first general elections in 1994, when voters sent Nelson Mandela to the presidency with a resounding win that helped the country distance itself from the scourge ...

The National Rifle Association's national convention drew a counter-demonstration in Indianapolis this weekend, as advocates for gun control press their own agenda near the convention center hosting the event. An NRA official says the group has plenty of support.

The NRA event drew tens of thousands of people, along with ...

Calling racist statements that were allegedly made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling "incredibly offensive," President Obama says he is confident the NBA will resolve the controversy that erupted after an audio recording of the comments was aired this weekend.

"I don't think I have to interpret those ...

More American military troops and assets could soon be placed in the Philippines, in a new deal that seems aimed at counterbalancing China's growing influence. The deal is expected to be formalized Monday, as President Obama arrives in Manila on his trip to Asia.

For NPR's Newscast unit, Simone Orendain ...

An audio recording that reportedly captures Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling criticizing a woman for publicly "associating with black people" is prompting an NBA investigation into whether Sterling made that and other remarks, including a demand about Magic Johnson: "don't bring him to my games."

"Why are you taking ...

For decades, it was mere legend: an "Atari Dump" rumored to harbor millions of copies of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, a video game so bad that burying it in the New Mexico desert seemed the best way to move on.

But now, the Atari graveyard has been exhumed, and the latest ...

Earl Morrall, whose career as an NFL quarterback included stints backing up some of the most gifted passers in the league's history, died Friday at age 79. Morrall played 21 seasons in the NFL; he was 38 when he became a pivotal part of the Miami Dolphins' perfect 1972 season ...

With 44.9 percent of the ballots in his favor, Afghanistan's former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah leads the candidates vying for the presidency, according to new preliminary results. He will likely face former finance minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai in a runoff, officials say. Ahmadzai captured 31.5 percent of the votes from ...

It has been 102 years since it was written aboard the Titanic, describing a pleasant Sunday spent on the cruise ship headed for disaster. The letter fetched 119,000 pounds (about $200,000) at auction in England Saturday, surpassing expectations by $30,000.

"Well, the sailors say we have had a wonderful passage ...

Rep. Michael Grimm's lawyer says he expects the New York Republican will be indicted on criminal charges. The exact charges haven't been announced. The Staten Island lawmaker and former FBI agent, who was first elected to Congress in 2010, has been under investigation for campaign finance and fraud.

Grimm's attorney ...

The leaders of the world's largest economies are poised to punish Russia over its role in Ukraine's crisis with a new round of sanctions the Group of Seven approved Friday. The same day, a team of European monitors was arrested in eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists.

The G7 leaders say ...

If you're so inclined, and able, you could soon speak Tlingit, Inupiaq, or Siberian Yupik in Alaska with the knowledge that those and 18 other languages, including English, are officially recognized by the state. Alaska's Legislature approved a bill giving them that status Monday.

Its backers say the largely symbolic ...

In the men's field of the 118^th Boston Marathon, American Meb Keflezighi ended a 31-year drought for U.S. runners, after holding off Wilson Chebet of Kenya in a race that came down to the final mile.

According to race officials, Keflezighi, 38, ran a 4:56 split at mile 23, when ...

There is no doubt the bombings of last year are casting a long shadow on the 118th running of the Boston Marathon.

It is an inevitable backdrop: The signs on the buildings that line the course near the finish are usually covered in witty, encouraging posters. This year, they encourage ...

For more than 40 minutes as their ship foundered last Wednesday, crew members of the South Korean ferry Sewol spoke with local maritime traffic services about a possible rescue. The conversation centered on getting help to the ship and on getting its passengers off the ferry, according to a transcript ...