Associated Press stories, Page 1194
Neptune and rings shine in photos from new space telescope
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.— Neptune and its rings haven’t looked this good in decades. NASA released new glamour shots of our solar system’s outermost planet Wednesday taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. The pictures taken in July show not only Neptune’s thin rings, but its faint dust bands, never before...
Average long-term mortgage rates climb to 6.29% this week
WASHINGTON — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates jumped by more than a quarter-point this week to their highest level since 2008 as the Federal Reserve intensified its effort to tamp down decades-high inflation and cool the economy. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate climbed to 6.29%,...
Judge blocks Indiana abortion ban week after it took effect
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana judge on Thursday blocked the state’s abortion ban from being enforced, putting the new law on hold as abortion clinic operators argue that it violates the state constitution. Owen County Judge Kelsey Hanlon issued a preliminary injunction against the ban that took effect one week ago....
Hamas threatens violence over contested Jerusalem holy site
JERUSALEM — The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Thursday threatened hostile actions against Israel over what it called “violations against Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque” ahead of the upcoming Jewish High Holidays. Hamas’s threats came just ahead of Sunday’s Jewish new year, and a day after a group of Jewish...
No let-up in hostilities in Ukraine despite prisoner swap
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged missile and artillery barrages that killed at least six people Thursday as both sides refused to concede any ground despite recent military setbacks for Moscow and the toll on the invaded country after almost seven months of war. Russian missile strikes in...
Puerto Rico struggles to reach areas cut off by Fiona
CAGUAS, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Fiona left hundreds of people stranded across Puerto Rico after smashing roads and bridges, with authorities still struggling to reach them four days after the storm smacked the U.S. territory, causing historic flooding. Government officials have been working with religious groups, nonprofits and others braving...
Czech government: Russian NHL players unwanted in Prague
PRAGUE — NHL teams playing in the Czech capital next month have been told their Russian players are not welcome. The Czech Foreign Ministry has told the NHL of its stance because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ministry declined to say whether the NHL has replied. The Nashville Predators...
Walmart, Target begin holiday early to ease inflation sting
NEW YORK — Walmart and Target plan to begin offering deals and price matching offers earlier this year to keep up with Americans pressed by soaring inflation and looking for ways to ease the potential sting of holiday shopping. For two years now, shoppers have started preparing for the holidays...
Thieves key on hack that leaves Hyundai, Kia cars vulnerable
DETROIT — Some Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs are missing a “key” anti-theft device, and thieves know. An insurance industry group says these cars are stolen at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the auto industry because their keys lack computer chips for theft “immobilizer” systems. The...
Powell’s stark message: Inflation fight may cause recession
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve delivered its bluntest reckoning Wednesday of what it will take to finally tame painfully high inflation: Slower growth, higher unemployment and potentially a recession. Speaking at a news conference, Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged what many economists have been saying for months: That the Fed’s goal...
Heckler who slapped Rudy Giuliani on back can have charge droppedVideo
NEW YORK — A man charged with assault after he was seen on a video slapping the back of former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani accepted a deal Wednesday to have the charges dismissed. According to the Richmond County district attorney’s office, the case has been adjourned in contemplation of...
Florida highway covered in Coors Light beer after semi crashVideo
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — A Florida highway had to temporarily close Wednesday after a semitrailer carrying cases of Coors Light crashed and turned the roadway into a silver sea of beer cans. The multi-vehicle crash occurred shortly after 6 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 about 30 miles north...
ACC off to strong start in nonconference gamesVideo
BOSTON — All that talk about how the Big Ten and SEC are making the rest of college football irrelevant? Well, the ACC would like a word. Winner of two national championships in the past six years — the only league other than the SEC to claim even one —...
Mike Lindell sues to recover cellphone seized by FBI agents
MINNEAPOLIS — MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell has sued the Department of Justice and the FBI, demanding the return of a cellphone agents seized from him outside a fast food restaurant in southern Minnesota last week, apparently as part of an investigation into an alleged scheme to breach voting system...
Virginia Thomas agrees to interview with Jan. 6 panel
WASHINGTON — Conservative activist Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, her lawyer said Wednesday. Attorney Mark Paoletta said Thomas is “eager to answer the committee’s questions to clear up...
Trump docs probe: Court lifts hold on Mar-a-Lago records
WASHINGTON — In a stark repudiation of Donald Trump’s legal arguments, a federal appeals court on Wednesday permitted the Justice Department to resume its use of classified records seized from the former president’s Florida estate as part of its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling from a three-judge panel of the...
Philly officer convicted of manslaughter in Black motorist’s deathVideo
PHILADELPHIA — A white Philadelphia police officer was convicted Wednesday of voluntary manslaughter and a weapons charge in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black motorist shot six seconds after the officer arrived on the scene. Officer Eric Ruch Jr. told jurors he feared for his life when he fired...
Buccaneers’ Mike Evans loses appeal of 1-game suspensionVideo
TAMPA, Fla.— The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Green Bay Packers without leading receiver Mike Evans, whose appeal of a one-game suspension for his role in an on-field brawl was denied Wednesday. The NFL disciplined the eight-time, 1,000-yard receiver for “violations of unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct rules” after...
House passes election law overhaul in response to Jan. 6Video
WASHINGTON — The House has passed legislation to overhaul the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election as lawmakers accelerate their response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Donald Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. The bill, which is similar to bipartisan legislation moving through the...
Russian separatists release 10, including 2 US veterans
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two U.S. military veterans who disappeared three months ago while fighting Russia with Ukrainian forces were among 10 prisoners, including five British nationals, released by Russian-backed separatists after talks involving Saudi Arabia, relatives and government officials said Wednesday. Alex Drueke, 40, and Andy Huynh, 27, went missing...
Training camps open around NHL after another short offseason
Training camps open around the NHL on Thursday after another short offseason, a third in a row squeezed by the pandemic. That doesn’t bother Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon one bit. For one of hockey’s best players and his teammates, it’s already time to get back on the ice and...
West Virginia, Virginia Tech to square off in Lane Stadium
West Virginia (1-2) at Virginia Tech (2-1) 7:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPN Line: West Virginia by 1 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Series record: West Virginia leads 29-23-1. What’s at stake? The Mountaineers had a late loss against Pittsburgh and then an overtime loss at Kansas before beating up on FCS...
Suspended Sarver says he’s decided to sell Suns, Mercury
Robert Sarver says he has started the process of selling the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, a move that comes only eight days after he was suspended by the NBA over workplace misconduct that included racist speech and hostile behavior toward employees. Sarver made the announcement Wednesday, saying selling “is...
Man pleads guilty to dousing ‘Bewitched’ statue in red paint
SALEM, Mass. — A man will be sentenced to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to vandalizing the “Bewitched” statue by dousing the Salem, Massachusetts tourist attraction with red paint over the summer. The 32-year-old resident was originally sentenced to a year in jail, but a Salem district court...
How steep Fed rate hikes affect your finances
NEW YORK — Mortgage rates have jumped, home sales have slumped and credit cards and auto loans have gotten pricier. Savings rates are slightly juicier, though. As the Federal Reserve has rapidly increased interest rates, many economists say they fear that a recession is inevitable in the coming months —...
