Library association awards Carnegie medals to McBride, Giggs
This combination image shows "Deacon King Kong" by James McBride, left, and "Fathoms: The World in the Whale" by Rebecca Giggs. The American Library Association has announced its winners of the Carnegie medals for literary excellence, awarding McBride in the fiction category and Giggs in nonfiction. (Riverhead Books, left, and Simon & Schuster via AP)NEW YORK – This year's winners of the Carnegie medals for fiction and nonfiction, presented by the American Library Association, have each checked out a few books in their time. But in Philly, you can,” explained McBride, whose novel last year was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club. With a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the library association established the award in 2012, with winners in each category receiving $5,000.
Biden takes the helm, appeals for unity to take on crises
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden watch fireworks light up the sky from the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. Both he, Harris and their spouses walked the last short part of the route to the White House after an abridged parade. At Biden's invitation, congressional leaders from both parties bowed their heads in prayer in the socially distanced service a few blocks from the White House. The Bidens ended their evening watching fireworks from a White House balcony. Trump did adhere to one tradition and left a personal note for Biden in the Oval Office.
Batter Up! Baseball, soundtrack of summer, is back - sort of
The Los Angeles Dodgers play the Los Angeles Angels at sunset during the fifth inning of a preseason baseball game, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Los Angeles. Rather than keeping players and club personnel sealed in a bubble environment, baseball teams will fly around the country, raising more health concerns. Fans won't be permitted at Nationals Park or at Dodger Stadium when Los Angeles plays San Francisco - or at any field. Going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball, Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole said. Its that sound, its the summer sound.___AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich and Joe Reedy contributed to this report.