Associated Press stories, Page 1207
Taliban lash 12 people before stadium crowd in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban lashed three women and nine men in front of hundreds of spectators in a provincial sports stadium Wednesday, signaling the religious extremist group’s resumption of a brutal form of punishment that was a hallmark of their rule in the 1990s. The office of the governor of...
Unemployment claims rise to 240,000, highest since August
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose the highest level since August but still remains low by historic standards. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that 240,000 people applied for jobless aid last week, up by 17,000 from the week before. The four-week moving average of claims,...
Power outages in Ukrainian cities
KYIV, Ukraine — Authorities reported power outages in multiple cities of Ukraine, including parts of Kyiv, and in neighboring Moldova after renewed strikes on Wednesday struck Ukrainian infrastructure facilities. Multiple regions reported attacks in quick succession, suggesting a barrage of strikes. In several regions, authorities reported strikes on critical infrastructure....
Report: Explosion near Syrian capital kills Iranian colonel
BEIRUT — An explosion in Syria has killed an official with Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, the force said on its website Wednesday, blaming Israel for the killing. The force identified the officer killed as Col. Davoud Jafari, who it said was working for the Guard’s aerospace division. The statement warned...
‘Bodies drop’ as Walmart manager kills 6 in Virginia attack
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Walmart manager pulled out a handgun before a routine employee meeting and began firing wildly around the break room of a Virginia store, killing six people in the nation’s second high-profile mass shooting in four days, police and witnesses said Wednesday. The gunman was dead when...
Farewell, Coastal, the ACC’s always unpredictable divisionVideo
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Farewell, ACC Coastal. And for prognosticators, good riddance. Every summer, every league in the country has some sort of preseason media gathering, the ACC included. Those events always go the same way: Coaches downplay expectations, quarterbacks praise their offensive line and receivers, and savvy reporters leave...
LSU jumps to 5th in CFP rankings behind Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and TCUVideo
LSU moved up to fifth and Southern Cal was sixth Tuesday night in the College Football Playoff rankings behind Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and TCU. The top four remained the same for the third straight week, but the teams chasing changed order after Tennessee lost to South Carolina on Saturday...
Supreme Court OKs handover of Trump tax returns to Congress
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the imminent handover of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to a congressional committee after a three-year legal fight. The court, with no noted dissents, rejected Trump’s plea for an order that would have prevented the Treasury Department from...
Biden to extend student loan pause as court battle drags on
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that his administration will extend the pause on federal student loan payments while the White House fights a legal battle to save his plan to cancel portions of the debt. “It isn’t fair to ask tens of millions of borrowers eligible for relief...
Russia’s Gazprom threatens Europe’s natural gas supply
Russian energy giant Gazprom has threatened to reduce natural gas supplies through the last pipeline heading to Europe via Ukraine, saying the amount it’s supplying for Moldova is not ending up in the former Soviet republic. Gazprom says the gas company of Europe’s poorest country, Moldovagaz, paid for part of...
NCAA awards Final Four to Las Vegas for 1st time
The Final Four is headed for the first time to Las Vegas, where wagering on the NCAA Tournament has long been a staple of March Madness revelry, after the NCAA awarded the men’s national semifinals and championship game to Allegiant Stadium for the 2027-28 season. The NCAA also announced Tuesday...
Once forbidden, gambling now embraced by NFL
Gambling has gone from the forbidden topic in the NFL to a key part of the league’s present and future. The days of lobbying against widespread legalized sports betting, preventing broadcast partners from even discussing point spreads and even prohibiting players from holding a fantasy football convention because it was...
‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ leads Spirit Award noms
The multiverse-hopping adventure film ” Everything Everywhere All At Once ” had a leading eight nominations for the Film Independent Spirit Awards with nods for best feature, best director, best lead actor for Michelle Yeoh, supporting actors Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis and breakthrough for Stephanie Hsu. The...
Inflation gives pay raise gift to top Pennsylvania officials
HARRISBURG — Inflation is gift-wrapping another big salary increase for hundreds of Pennsylvania state lawmakers, judges and top executive branch officials in 2023, including boosting rank-and-file lawmakers and district judges into six-figure territory. For many of these positions, it’s the biggest increase since the 1990s, when lawmakers passed legislation to...
Famed ‘Goonies’ house for sale in OregonVideo
PORTLAND, Ore. — Good news for fans of “The Goonies:” the old Victorian home featured in the film is on sale in Astoria, Oregon, and potential buyers are considering making it more accessible to the public. “We have a few interested parties right now,” said realtor Jordan Miller, the listing...
Artist’s hand-painted dress to match her work goes viral
PONCHATOULA, La. — Louisiana artist Mandy Poche needed something to wear to her exhibit opening the next day. Instead of making a last-minute dash to the store, she turned to her creative skills and painted a white off-the-shoulder cocktail dress to match one of her artworks. The result has been...
Indonesian rescuers search through rubble of quake; 268 dead
CIANJUR, Indonesia — Indonesian rescuers used jackhammers, circular saws and sometimes their bare hands Tuesday to shift the rubble of flattened buildings as they searched for the dead and missing from an earthquake that killed at least 268 people. With many missing, some remote areas still unreachable and more than...
‘Stock up on blankets’: Ukrainians brace for horrific winter
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine could face rolling blackouts through March because Russian airstrikes have caused “colossal” damage to the power grid, officials said. To cope in the harsh winter, authorities are urging Ukrainians to stock up on supplies and evacuate hard-hit areas. Sergey Kovalenko, the CEO of private energy provider...
Analysis: As NBA’s first quarter ends, the contenders emerge
Miami Heat President Pat Riley has a longstanding belief: After 20 games, a team knows its identity. He’s right. And after 20 games, title contenders are usually known as well. Think of this as the end of the season’s first quarter. That’s basically where the NBA is right now, with...
Analysis: Russell Wilson trade looks like Herschel Walker’s
DENVER — The most lopsided trade in NFL history sent Herschel Walker to Minnesota for two fistfuls of players and draft picks that served as the pillars of the Dallas Cowboys’ dynasty of the 1990s. The Russell Wilson trade isn’t quite so cockeyed, but eight months in it sure looks...
Loss for Messi and Argentina among biggest World Cup upsets
DOHA, Qatar — The staggering loss for Lionel Messi and Argentina at the World Cup at the hands of Saudi Arabia is right up there with the biggest upsets in tournament history. Messi, who had given Argentina the lead before the Saudis came back to win 2-1, is playing at...
Gathering again? Tips for a safe and healthy Thanksgiving
For families who settled for smaller gatherings and remote blessings during the height of the pandemic, this Thanksgiving looks like the return of the big bash. More folks are getting together this year, with the American Automobile Association predicting holiday travel will be nearly back to prepandemic levels. If that’s...
Thanksgiving might bring changes in holiday-travel habits
The Thanksgiving travel rush was back on this year, as people caught planes in numbers not seen in years, setting aside inflation concerns to reunite with loved ones and enjoy some normalcy after two holiday seasons marked by COVID-19 restrictions. Changing habits around work and play, however, might spread out...
Cartoonists honor ‘Peanuts’ creator in funny pages
NEW YORK — Cartoonists across the nation are celebrating the 100th birthday of “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz as only they can — with cartoons. More than 75 syndicated cartoonists have tucked tributes, Easter eggs and references to “Peanuts” in Saturday’s funny papers to honor the creator of Charlie Brown,...
World Cup stunner: Saudi Arabia beats Messi’s Argentina
LUSAIL, Qatar — Lionel Messi stood with his hands on his hips near the center circle, looking stone-faced as Saudi Arabia’s jubilant players ran in all directions around him after scoring one of the biggest World Cup upsets ever against Argentina. The South American champion and one of the tournament...
