Associated Press stories, Page 1002
Arizona Cardinals release receiver DeAndre Hopkins
TEMPE, Ariz. — The DeAndre Hopkins era is over for the Arizona Cardinals, who are on the hook for quite an expensive breakup. The Cardinals released the three-time All-Pro wide receiver in a salary cap move Friday after they failed to find a trading partner in the offseason. Arizona made...
Iowa law limits gender identity instruction, removes books depicting sex acts from school libraries
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa teachers will be banned from raising gender identity and sexual orientation issues with students through grade six, and all books depicting sex acts will be removed from school libraries, under a bill Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Friday. The new law is among similar...
Latest GOP 2024 hopeful DeSantis ‘blazing a trail’ on book bans in Republican-controlled states
TALLAHASSEE, Florida— As he vies for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting a series of measures he has pushed that have led to an upswing in banned or restricted books — not just in Florida schools but in an increasing number of other conservative states. Florida...
Judge halts South Carolina’s new stricter abortion law until state Supreme Court review
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A judge on Friday put a temporary halt to South Carolina’s new law banning most abortions around six weeks of pregnancy until the state Supreme Court can review the measure. The ruling by Judge Clifton Newman came just about 24 hours after Gov. Henry McMaster signed the...
Disney opposes DeSantis request to disqualify judge in free speech lawsuit
ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney is opposing a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis to disqualify a judge overseeing the company’s First Amendment lawsuit against the Florida governor and others in which Disney says it was punished for speaking out against Florida legislation that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” Disney said...
Suspect in death of Migos rapper Takeoff indicted on murder charge
A grand jury has indicted the man accused of killing Migos rapper Takeoff on a murder charge, according to the district attorney in Harris County, Texas. The 28-year-old recording artist, whose real name was Kirsnick Khari Ball, was killed Nov. 1, 2022 when shots were fired outside a Houston bowling...
Grand Canyon’s Jacob Wilson, son of former Pirates shortstop, has 12 strikeouts in last 478 plate appearances
Jacob Wilson came of age in baseball when the dictates of analytics removed the shame of striking out if it meant hitting more home runs. The Grand Canyon shortstop considers himself a throwback to the time when striking out equated to failure. “Striking out,” he said, “is not OK.” His...
Pa. baseball player fatally struck in face while dismantling unapproved dugout
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A college baseball player died after he was struck in the face when a makeshift dugout he was helping to dismantle collapsed on him this week. Angel Mercado, 19, was a middle infielder who had just completed his freshman season at Division II Central Penn College. He...
Biden releases new strategy to tackle rise in antisemitism, says ‘hate will not prevail’
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday announced what he said is the most ambitious and comprehensive undertaking by the U.S. government to fight hate, bias and violence against Jews, outlining more than 100 steps the administration and its partners can take to combat an alarming rise in antisemitism. Speaking...
Even after his latest ejection, Yankees manager Aaron Boone doesn’t want robo umps
NEW YORK — Ejected for the fourth time this season and second time in a four-game span, Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t think there was a need for robot umpires. “I don’t want that,” Boone said after Thursday night’s 3-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Boone was tossed in the...
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick refuses to say if Texas Senate has votes to convict AG Ken Paxton
AUSTIN — Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick declined to say if enough senators would vote to remove Attorney General Ken Paxton from office should the Capitol’s high chamber hold an impeachment trial. The Texas House is poised to vote on articles of impeachment for Paxton, which include allegations of bribery...
Pope runs fever, skips meetings, Vatican says
Pope Francis skipped meetings Friday because he was running a fever, the Vatican said. There were no details about how sick Francis was. The last time he spiked a serious fever, in March, the 86-year-old pontiff was rushed to the hospital where he was diagnosed with acute bronchitis. He received...
Flight cancellations, strikes raise fears of new summer travel chaos in Europe
LONDON — British Airways canceled dozens of flights Friday, blaming computer problems for disrupting plans for thousands of passengers at the start of a busy holiday weekend — a rocky kickoff to the summer travel season in Europe. The technical glitches and strikes by airport staff across Europe are stirring...
Russia says Ukraine attacks border regions; Moscow’s forces strike Dnipro clinic
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia’s southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine came under attack from Ukrainian artillery fire, mortar shells and drones Friday, authorities said, hours after two drones struck a Russian city in a region next to the annexed Crimea Peninsula. The Kremlin’s forces, meanwhile, struck a clinic in Dnipro, in...
Court says Hugh Grant’s lawsuit alleging illegal snooping by tabloid can go to trial
LONDON — A London court on Friday rejected an attempt by the publisher of The Sun tabloid to throw out a lawsuit by actor Hugh Grant alleging that journalists and investigators it hired illegally snooped on him. Justice Timothy Fancourt said a trial in January will have to determine whether...
U.S. surgeon general calls for action on social media to ‘protect kids now’
The U.S. surgeon general is warning there is not enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens — and is calling on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now.” With young people’s social media use “near universal” but its...
New Russell Wilson: Trimmer body and lower public profile
There’s a lot less of Russell Wilson this offseason. No more hype videos bombarding social media, no more chronicles of every globetrotting trip, no more merchandise pitches or cringey catchphrases. And apparently, fewer gourmet meals, too. “I feel lean and mean and ready to go,” said Wilson, who looked noticeably...
Joe Pavelski scores in OT, Stars beat Golden Knights to avoid sweep
DALLAS — Joe Pavelski scored on a power play at 3 minutes, 18 seconds of overtime, and the Dallas Stars avoided a sweep in the Western Conference final with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night. Jason Robertson scored twice for his first career multigoal playoff...
GOP field in Pennsylvania Senate race still wide open as Doug Mastriano says he won’t run
HARRISBURG — A hard-right Pennsylvania state lawmaker said Thursday night that he will not challenge Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, leaving the GOP field wide open as Republican Party officials try to recruit a strong candidate in the moderate battleground state to help capture a Senate majority in 2024. Doug Mastriano,...
Murder, cruelty charges dismissed in Georgia toddler’s hot car death
ATLANTA — A father from Georgia will not face another trial over his toddler’s death in a hot car, prosecutors said Thursday, after the Georgia Supreme Court last year reversed his murder and child cruelty convictions. Justin Ross Harris, 42, was found guilty in November 2016 on eight counts including...
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic on same half of French Open draw; Iga Swiatek-Coco Gauff could be in quarterfinals
PARIS — Carlos Alcaraz and the man he just replaced atop the rankings, 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, were placed in the same half of the French Open field in Thursday’s draw and could face each other in the semifinals. Alcaraz is seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam...
Harry Hall crashes the ‘Block’ party at Colonial with 62 as club pro shoots 81Video
FORT WORTH, Texas — California club pro Michael Block was living the dream at the PGA Championship. Thursday at Colonial brought him back to reality. A sensation at Oak Hill when he tied for 15th against the strongest field in golf, Block opened with three straight bogeys and finished with...
Tight end Darren Waller brings size, speed and a big-play threat to GiantsVideo
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Less than two months after being acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, tight end Darren Waller has impressed his new teammates on the New York Giants. The 2020 Pro Bowler has worked hard in the meeting rooms and indoor workouts, gotten to know...
Davante Adams says he fully backs Raiders management, QB Jimmy GaroppoloVideo
HENDERSON, Nev. — Davante Adams had a clear message to send Thursday, and he spent 2 1/2 minutes answering the first media question posed to him to show he is fully on board for the Las Vegas Raiders. Adams was quoted in The Ringer earlier this month appearing to question...
4 years after missing Indy 500 with Alonso, McLaren Racing very much a contenderVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — It is hard to be an introvert among the bodacious characters of Arrow McLaren Racing. But Felix Rosenqvist, who readily admits he “was closed as a shell” when he joined McLaren for the start of the 2021 season, is having a blast with firecracker teammate Pato O’Ward and...
