Associated Press stories, Page 1184
FCS features numerous potential NFL draft picksVideo
Most of the attention leading up to the NFL Draft centers on the top players, the ones who can change the fortunes of a franchise, help it climb up from the bottom. Far less attention is generally paid to the players in the Championship Subdivision and below, players who probably...
Prosecutors: Florida family used sham ministry to get covid loans
ORLANDO — Family members who ran a sham ministry have been charged with defrauding the federal government of covid-19 relief funds in a scheme to buy a $3.7 million luxury home in a development at Walt Disney World, authorities said. Evan Edwards, 64, and his 30-year-old son, Joshua Edwards, were...
New York bans pet stores from selling cats, dogs, rabbits
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York on Thursday became the latest state to ban the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores in an attempt to target commercial breeding operations decried by critics as “puppy mills.” The new law, which was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and takes effect...
Kylian Mbappe, France can make World Cup history against ArgentinaVideo
DOHA, Qatar — World Cup history is beckoning for France, star player Kylian Mbappé and coach Didier Deschamps. When France walks on the field Sunday for the tournament final against Argentina and Lionel Messi, soccer lore is waiting to be written for the team. Les Bleus could be the first...
Lionel Messi carries weight of Argentina into World Cup finalVideo
DOHA, Qatar — As Lionel Messi approaches his second and likely last World Cup final, the stakes hardly could be higher. The same goes for Argentina after more than 30 years of disappointment since it last won soccer’s ultimate prize. For Messi, victory against France at Lusail Stadium on Sunday...
Ohio education bill, transgender athlete ban die in House
COLUMBUS — The latest proposal to give Ohio’s governor more power overseeing K-12 education cleared the state Senate with a ban on transgender student-athletes in girls sports — but hit a roadblock hours later when the legislation fell several votes short of passage in the House early Thursday. The bill...
Texas officer convicted in shooting of Atatiana JeffersonVideo
FORT WORTH, Texas — A former Texas police officer was convicted of manslaughter Thursday for fatally shooting a Black woman through a rear window of her home in 2019, a rare conviction of an officer for killing someone also armed with a gun. Jurors were also considering a murder charge...
House approves referendum to ‘decolonize’ Puerto RicoVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that would allow Puerto Rico to hold the first-ever binding referendum on whether to become a state or gain some sort of independence, in a last-ditch effort that stands little chance of passing the Senate. The bill, which passed 233-191 with...
Red Sox sign Japanese batting champ Masataka YoshidaVideo
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox have signed outfielder Masataka Yoshida, who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and twice led Japan’s Pacific League in batting, to a five-year deal that will pay him $90 million. Yoshida, 29, helped Orix to a victory in the Japan Series in...
Review: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is a big screen blastVideo
It is impossible to talk about “Avatar: The Way of Water” without sounding hyperbolic. But James Cameron’s sequel is a truly dazzling cinematic experience that will have you floating on a blockbuster high. No matter if you’ve spent a second of your life in the past 13 years thinking about...
Tesla stock rises despite Musk selling $3.58B of its shares
Shares of Tesla rose slightly in midday trading Thursday despite news that CEO Elon Musk sold another $3.58 billion worth of the electric vehicle maker’s stock this week. The stock traded at $157.06 at midday, near its two-year lows, but it was faring better than the broader markets. Musk, the...
Lengthy prison terms for 3 who aided Whitmer kidnap plotter
JACKSON, Mich. — A judge on Thursday handed down the longest prison terms so far in the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor, sentencing three men who forged an early alliance with a leader of the scheme before the FBI broke it up in 2020. Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul...
Group casts doubt on Amazon’s claims of reducing plastic
NEW YORK — A report by environmental group Oceana has found that plastic waste from Amazon packages went up by 18% last year, but Amazon says it has reduced its use of single-use plastic across its network. According to the Oceana’s estimates, released Thursday, Amazon’s plastic waste jumped from 599...
Organic livestock farmers, hit by rising prices, seek help
WHITINGHAM, Vt. — Organic dairy and other livestock farmers are seeking emergency federal aid as they grapple with skyrocketing organic feed costs, steep fuel and utility expenses as well as the consequences of drought in many parts of the country. Two dozen U.S. senators and representatives wrote to U.S. Agriculture...
Jesuit case underscores secrecy, leniency for abuse of women
ROME — Revelations that the Vatican let a famous priest off the hook twice for abusing his authority over adult women has exposed two main weaknesses in the Holy See’s abuse policies: sexual and spiritual misconduct against adult women is rarely if ever punished, and secrecy still reigns supreme, especially...
Russia warns of ‘consequences’ if U.S. missiles go to Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned Thursday that if the United States confirms reports that it plans to deliver sophisticated air defense missiles to Ukraine, it would be “another provocative move by the U.S.” that could prompt a response from Moscow. Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a weekly...
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to be next NCAA president
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will be the next president of the NCAA, stepping in to lead an organization with diminished power amid sweeping changes across college sports. The NCAA announced Thursday that Baker will replace Mark Emmert as the head of the largest college sports governing body in the country,...
How Fed’s series of rate hikes could affect your finances
NEW YORK — The Federal Reserve’s move Wednesday to raise its key rate by a half-point brought it to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, the highest level in 14 years. The Fed’s latest increase — its seventh rate hike this year — will make it even costlier for consumers...
White House reveals winter covid-19 plans, more free tests
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is again making some free covid-19 tests available to all U.S. households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter. After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available through covidtests.gov starting Thursday, a senior administration official...
Bills LBs Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano add size, speed
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier did a double take to emphasize how impressed he was re-watching tape of a play highlighting the intuitive bond linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano have developed over five seasons. The call originally was designed for Milano to pressure the...
House passes bill to extend government funding for 1 weekVideo
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-led House passed a short-term spending bill Wednesday to keep government agencies funded at current levels through Dec. 23, giving lawmakers more time to craft a roughly $1.7 trillion appropriations package that would cover the full fiscal year. Congress faces a deadline of midnight Friday to pass...
Browns QB Deshaun Watson on his comeback: ‘I have a long way to go’Video
BEREA, Ohio — Feeling far less pressure or hostility, Deshaun Watson looked relaxed, confident and more like a franchise quarterback in his second game for the Cleveland Browns. After his dreadful debut, the bar was low. But last week in Cincinnati, Watson rebounded and showed improvement across the board. However,...
Report: TikTok boosts posts about eating disorders, suicide
TikTok’s algorithms are promoting videos about self-harm and eating disorders to vulnerable teens, according to a report published Wednesday that highlights concerns about social media and its impact on youth mental health. Researchers at the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate created TikTok accounts for fictional teen personas in the...
Report: Texas AG sought driver license data on gender change
AUSTIN — The office of Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this summer sought data on how many people had changed the gender information on their driver’s license, according to a newspaper report published Wednesday that civil rights attorneys described as worrying. The Washington Post reported that public records obtained...
Alabama women convicted for feeding, trapping stray cats
WETUMPKA, Ala. — Two Alabama women have been convicted of misdemeanor crimes because of their efforts to feed and trap stray cats. Local news outlets report that Wetumpka Municipal Judge Jeff Courtney on Tuesday found Beverly Roberts, 85, guilty of criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct. Mary Alston, 61, was found...
