Associated Press stories, Page 1218
Minor poll problems twisted into false U.S. election claims
Former President Donald Trump and some other Republicans are twisting minor voting problems in U.S. midterm elections into conspiracy theories and false claims to sow doubt about Democratic victories, continuing efforts since 2020 to undermine Americans’ confidence in voting. Election Day unfolded without major or widespread voting snags, yet some...
Abortion supporters win in conservative, liberal states
WASHINGTON — Abortion rights supporters won in the four states where access was on the ballot Tuesday, as voters enshrined it into the state constitution in battleground Michigan as well as blue California and Vermont and dealt a defeat to an anti-abortion measure in deep-red Kentucky. In all, it was...
Hurricane Nicole forms; Florida awaits rare November stormVideo
MIAMI — A Florida-bound storm strengthened into Hurricane Nicole on Wednesday after pounding the Bahamas as U.S. officials ordered evacuations that included former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. It’s a rare November hurricane for storm-weary Florida, where only two such hurricanes have made landfall since recordkeeping began in 1853 —...
NFL scoring down to lowest level since 2010 at halfway point
Halfway through the 2022 season it appears NFL defenses have finally started catching up. After a five-year run of hot-shot quarterbacks lighting up scoreboards and leaving defenses with few answers, the pendulum has turned away from the offense for a change. With star quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and...
With shift limits, MLB general managers shift evaluations
LAS VEGAS — There’s been a shift in how general managers evaluate players — caused by restrictions on defensive positioning that start next season. “We, like I’m sure everybody, have done our due diligence to make sure that we’re in a good place as we’re entertaining opportunities in both trades...
‘Official’ Twitter tag for some users appears, then vanishes
Now you see a new “official” label on some high-profile Twitter accounts, now you don’t. Twitter began adding gray “official” labels to some high-profile accounts Wednesday to indicate that they are authentic, the latest twist in new owner Elon Musk’s chaotic overhaul of the platform and its verification system. A...
Voters approve recreational marijuana in Maryland, Missouri
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Voters approved recreational marijuana in Maryland and Missouri but rejected it in two other states, signaling support gradually growing for legalization even in conservative parts of the country. The results mean that 21 states have now approved marijuana’s recreational use. Arkansas and North Dakota voters rejected...
Election takeaways: No sweep for the Republicans after all
WASHINGTON — For weeks, Republicans predicted a “red wave” would carry them to power in Congress, as voters repudiated majority Democrats for failing to tame skyrocketing inflation and address worries about rising crime. The reality appeared far different early Wednesday. Rather than a wholesale rejection of President Joe Biden and...
Facebook parent Meta cuts 11,000 jobs, 13% of workforce
Facebook parent Meta is laying off 11,000 people, about 13% of its workforce, as it contends with faltering revenue and broader tech industry woes, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a letter to employees Wednesday. The job cuts come just a week after widespread layoffs at Twitter under its new owner,...
Griner sent to Russian penal colony to serve sentence
MOSCOW — American basketball star Brittney Griner has been sent to a penal colony in Russia to serve her sentence for drug possession, her legal team said Wednesday. A Russian court rejected an appeal of her nine-year sentence last month. The eight-time all-star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and...
Why AP called Pennsylvania Senate for John Fetterman
WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman was winning the outstanding in-person and absentee votes in Philadelphia and in a suburban county. That meant essentially that most of Dr. Mehmet Oz’s votes had been counted and allowed the Associated Press to call the race early Wednesday for Fetterman. Fetterman’s...
Why AP called Pennsylvania governor’s race for Josh Shapiro
WASHINGTON — Republican Doug Mastriano could not catch up to Democrat Josh Shapiro’s lead in the Pennsylvania governor’s race. The deeper into the night it got, the clearer it was that the GOP state senator couldn’t overtake Shapiro’s lead. That’s when The Associated Press called the contest early Wednesday for...
Mishaps, distrust spur Election Day misinformation
Voters casting ballots in the pivotal midterms on Tuesday grappled with misleading claims about glitchy election machines and delayed results, the final crest of a wave of misinformation that’s expected to linger long after the last votes are tallied. In Arizona, news of snags with vote tabulators spawned baseless claims...
Democrat Josh Shapiro wins Pennsylvania governor’s race
HARRISBURG — Democrat Josh Shapiro won the race for governor of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, securing the office for four years in a state where the future of abortion rights is on the line, along with management of the 2024 election in a battleground that is often decisive in choosing presidents....
2022 midterms roundup: Top races across the country
Ron DeSantis wins 2nd term as Florida governor TALLAHASSEE — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won reelection to a second term Tuesday in a dominant victory over Democrat Charlie Crist, bolstering his rise as a prominent GOP star with potential White House ambitions. DeSantis’ win continues a rightward shift for...
Discovery of bronzes rewrites Italy’s Etruscan-Roman historyVideo
ROME — Italian authorities on Tuesday announced the extraordinary discovery of 2,000-year-old bronze statues in an ancient Tuscan thermal spring and said the find will “rewrite history” about the transition from the Etruscan civilization to the Roman Empire. The discovery, in the sacred baths of the San Casciano dei Bagni...
Mets exercise $1.5M option on former Pirates slugger Daniel VogelbachVideo
LAS VEGAS — The New York Mets exercised a $1.5 million option on first baseman and designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach, preventing him from being eligible for salary arbitration. Vogelbach, a burly 29-year-old, was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in late July and quickly became a fan favorite. He hit .255...
Jeff Cook, co-founder of country band Alabama, dies at 73
NEW YORK — Guitarist Jeff Cook, who co-founded the successful country group Alabama and steered them up the charts with such hits as “Song of the South” and “Dixieland Delight,” has died. He was 73. Cook had Parkinson’s disease and disclosed his diagnosis in 2017. He died Tuesday at his...
Georgia is new CFP No. 1, followed by Ohio St, Michigan, TCUVideo
Georgia was the new No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night, followed by Ohio State, Michigan and TCU. The Bulldogs’ rise from No. 3 was no surprise after their dominant victory against previously top-ranked Tennessee on Saturday. Clemson, which was No. 4 in the selection committee’s first...
Analysis: Public perception doesn’t matter to Colts owner Jim IrsayVideo
Even Jeff Saturday was shocked when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay called late Sunday night to offer him the head coaching position. A former two-time All-Pro center who snapped the ball to Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for 12 seasons, Saturday surely knows his X’s and O’s. But his...
Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo, Mets’ Chris Bassitt turn down options to become free agentsVideo
LAS VEGAS — First baseman Anthony Rizzo became a free agent again when he declined his $16 million option with the New York Yankees for 2023. Pitcher Chris Bassitt declined his $19 million option with the New York Mets and followed rotation mates Jacob deGrom and Taijuan Walker into free...
Tropical Storm Nicole churns toward Bahamas, FloridaVideo
MIAMI — Tropical Storm Nicole churned toward the northwestern Bahamas and Florida’s Atlantic coastline on Tuesday and was forecast to develop into a hurricane over the next couple of days, forecasters said. A range of warnings and watches remain in place. Many areas are still reeling from damage caused by...
Analysis: 1st-place Ravens must stay sharp down stretchVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — When the Baltimore Ravens began the season, they had every reason to believe Rashod Bateman would be their top wide receiver, Mark Andrews a standout tight end — and eventually, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards might be their best options at running back. Those four players...
Wall Street rises ahead of election results, inflation dataVideo
NEW YORK — Election Day brought another rise for Wall Street, with stocks climbing Tuesday for a third straight day. The S&P 500 rose 21.31, or 0.6%, to 3,828.11, though it flipped between an even bigger gain and a modest loss to get there. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed...
Review: In ‘Wakanda Forever,’ an empire mourns and rebuildsVideo
Made in the wake of tragedy, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” reverberates with the agony of loss, piercing the usually less consequential superhero realm. Like someone going through the stages of grief, Ryan Coogler’s movie is at turns mournful and rootless, full of rage and blessed with clarity. In the fantastical...
