Associated Press stories, Page 1225
Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg to plead guilty, testify against company
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s chief financial officer is expected to plead guilty to tax violations Thursday in a deal that would require him to testify about illicit business practices at the former president’s company, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Allen Weisselberg is charged with...
LeBron James inks 2-year, $97M extension with Lakers
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension through the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because James and the Lakers haven’t yet...
Giuliani faces grand jury in Georgia 2020 election probeVideo
ATLANTA — Rudy Giuliani faced hours of questioning Wednesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta as a target of an investigation into attempts by former President Donald Trump and others to overturn Trump’s 2020 election defeat in Georgia. The former New York mayor and Trump attorney left Fulton County...
Children’s hospitals harassed over transgender care programs
BOSTON — Doctors and other staffers at Boston Children’s Hospital are being threatened with violence over its surgical program for transgender youths, administrators said, and other U.S. children’s hospitals are also being harassed online. Boston Children’s is home to the first pediatric and adolescent transgender health program in the United...
Players-only private meeting was all about a better PGA TourVideo
WILMINGTON, Del. — Tiger Woods showed up for a private meeting of top PGA Tour players dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved plaid shirt. By the sound of his impact, he might as well have been wearing a Sunday red shirt. “I think it’s pretty apparent that whenever we all...
Giant sharks once roamed the seas, feasting on huge meals
NEW YORK — Today’s sharks have nothing on their ancient cousins. A giant shark that roamed the oceans millions of years ago could have devoured a creature the size of a killer whale in just five bites, new research suggests. For their study published Wednesday, researchers used fossil evidence to...
Judge: Pharmacies owe 2 Ohio counties $650M in opioids suit
CLEVELAND — A federal judge in Cleveland awarded $650 million in damages Wednesday to two Ohio counties that won a landmark lawsuit against national pharmacy chains CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, claiming the way they distributed opioids to customers caused severe harm to communities and created a public nuisance. U.S. District...
Bengals’ Joe Burrow working on regaining strength after appendix surgeryVideo
CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow is trying to pack on the pounds, gaining back the weight he lost after having surgery to remove his ruptured appendix three weeks ago. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback won’t say how much he lost, but the pounds are coming back, along with the strength and mobility...
Kids-for-cash judges ordered to pay more than $200M
Two former Pennsylvania judges who orchestrated a scheme to send children to for-profit jails in exchange for kickbacks were ordered to pay more than $200 million to hundreds of people they victimized in one of the worst judicial scandals in U.S. history. U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner awarded $106 million...
Rudy Giuliani says he ‘satisfied’ obligation with Georgia grand juryVideo
ATLANTA — Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday that he had “satisfied his obligation” after facing hours of questioning Wednesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta as a target of an investigation into attempts by former President Donald Trump and others to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia. In an...
Chargers sign Derwin James to 4-year, $76.5M extension
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Derwin James signed a four-year, $76.5 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Chargers Wednesday morning, making him the NFL’s highest-paid safety. The deal includes $42 million in guaranteed salary. James is going into his fifth season and was expected on the field when the Chargers...
Blackhawks agree to 1-year deal with former Penguins D Jack JohnsonVideo
CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a one-year contract with former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson after the veteran helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup last season. The rebuilding Blackhawks announced the deal Wednesday. Johnson’s contract carries a $950,000 hit for the salary cap. “Jack provides the team with...
AP sources: Talks on possible Deshaun Watson settlement progress
Talks between the NFL and NFL Players Association on a discipline settlement for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson have progressed. However, it’s uncertain whether the two sides will reach a deal, two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The people spoke to AP on condition...
Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko, Ken Riley finalists for Pro Football HOF
Super Bowl MVP Chuck Howley and All-Pro defenders Joe Klecko and Ken Riley are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2023. The defenders who starred in the 1960s, 70s and 80s were announced as the three senior candidates for next year’s Hall of Fame class from...
U.S. traffic deaths, once in decline, continue to rise in 2022
DETROIT — U.S. traffic fatalities began to climb two years ago and that deadly trend is continuing in 2022. Roadway deaths rose 7% during the first three months of the year to 9,560 people, the highest number for a first quarter in two decades, according to estimates by the National...
Wisconsin school board votes in favor of pride flag ban
WALES, Wis. — A Wisconsin school board voted in favor of a policy that prohibits teachers and staff from displaying gay pride flags and other items that district officials consider political in nature. The Kettle Moraine School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to keep a code of conduct in place that...
Scientists seek to develop hybrid coral reef off of Miami
MIAMI — Scientists and students from the University of Miami dove into the dark waters a few miles off the shores of Miami this week as part of an effort to develop hybrid reefs. The team from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science was on a mission...
CDC director announces ‘reset’ aimed at speed, fixing flaws in agency
NEW YORK — The head of the nation’s top public health agency on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the organization, intended to make it more nimble. The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a “reset”— come amid ongoing criticism of the...
Man dies in shootout with would-be robber in Alabama woods
ASHLAND, Ala. — A Florida college student exploring the Alabama wilderness with his girlfriend was fatally wounded during a shootout with a would-be robber who appeared to be living with others in the woods, authorities said. Adam Simjee, 22, was shot to death in the Talladega National Forest near popular...
NFL looks like old self entering 3rd season in covid-19 era
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Derrick Henry has been seen jogging on the field with his daughter after practice. Green Bay Packers are once again borrowing kids’ bicycles for rides to practice. Fans are rubbing elbows with their favorite players to get those coveted autographs. Yes, the NFL is looking and acting...
Pence tells GOP to stop lashing out at FBI over Trump searchVideo
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday implored fellow Republicans to stop lashing out at the FBI over the search of Donald Trump’s Florida home and denounced calls by some of the former president’s allies to defund the FBI, saying that was “just as wrong” as a...
U.S. retail sales were flat in July as inflation takes a toll
WASHINGTON — The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged last month as persistently high inflation and rising interest rates forced many households to spend more cautiously. Retail purchases were flat in July after having risen 0.8% in June, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. America’s consumers, whose spending accounts...
Target takes a hit after heavy discounts to clear inventory
NEW YORK — Target reported solid sales for the fiscal second quarter but its profit plunged nearly 90% after it was forced to slash prices to clear unwanted inventories of clothing, home goods and electronics. In early June, Target warned that it was canceling orders from suppliers and aggressively cutting...
China and U.S. spar over climate on Twitter
BEIJING — The world’s two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases are sparring on Twitter over climate policy, with China questioning whether the U.S. can deliver on the landmark climate legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden this week. “You can bet America will meet our commitments,” U.S. Ambassador to...
NASA’s moon rocket moved to launch pad for 1st test flight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s new moon rocket arrived at the launch pad Wednesday ahead of its debut flight in less than two weeks. The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket emerged from its mammoth hangar late Tuesday night, drawing crowds of Kennedy Space Center workers. It took nearly 10 hours for the...
