Associated Press stories, Page 1243
Iraqi protesters storm parliament in Baghdad, set up sit-in
Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric breached Iraq’s parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts lead by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups. The alliance called for counter-protests, raising the specter of civil strife. Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas...
Fetterman harnesses power of social media in Senate campaign
In one of this year’s most competitive U.S. Senate races, the biggest moments aren’t playing out on the campaign trail. They’re unfolding on social media. For one stunt, Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania rolled out an online petition to get his Republican rival, celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, enshrined...
Q&A: Melissa Barrera survives, on screen and in HollywoodVideo
NEW YORK — Since her breakthrough role as Vanessa in the film adaptation of “In The Heights,” Melissa Barrera has been working non-stop on the big and small screen. Only this year, she appeared in “Scream 5” and is filming a sequel, and stars in the upcoming Benjamin Millepied’s reimagining...
Luis Castillo traded to Mariners by Reds for 4 prospects
HOUSTON — The Seattle Mariners acquired the top starting pitcher on the trade market Friday night, getting All-Star Luis Castillo from the payroll-paring Cincinnati Reds for four minor league prospects. Cincinnati obtained infielders Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, and right-handers Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore. Marte was the Mariners’ top-rated...
Navy expedites waterborne drones to close gap with China
Facing a growing threat from China, the Navy envisions drone ships keeping an electronic eye on enemy forces across the vast Pacific Ocean, extending the reach of firepower, and keeping sailors out of harm’s way. The Navy is speeding development of those robotic ships as an affordable way to keep...
House passes semi-automatic gun ban after 18-year lapse
The House passed legislation Friday to revive a ban on semi-automatic guns, the first vote of its kind in years and a direct response to the firearms often used in the crush of mass shootings ripping through communities nationwide. Once banned in the U.S., the high-powered firearms are now widely...
Pitt product Conner in prime, ready to carry rushing load for CardinalsVideo
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Arizona’s James Conner and a reporter were bantering back and forth after a training camp practice about how many touches he should have each game for the Cardinals to have a successful season. Possibly 10? 15? 20? “No number,” Conner said. “That would be foolish.” The reporter...
Isolation complication? U.S. finds it’s hard to shun Russia
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration likes to say Russia has become isolated internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine. Yet Moscow’s top officials have hardly been cloistered in the Kremlin. And now, even the U.S. is talking to them. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been meeting with world leaders, including...
Will Smith posts an apology video for slapping Chris RockVideo
NEW YORK — Will Smith has again apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him during the Oscar telecast in a new video, saying that his behavior was “unacceptable” and that he had reached out to the comedian to discuss the incident but was told Rock wasn’t ready. “There is no...
States hope for revenue boost with Mega Millions craze
A bump in college scholarships for New Mexico students. A new bike trail nestled in the western slope of Colorado. More homeless shelters in Arizona. When lottery sales soar, those holding the golden ticket aren’t the only ones who win. Across the U.S., state lottery systems use that revenue to...
States reach deal over marketing, safety of generic opioids
HARRISBURG — A former opioid manufacturer has agreed in principle to pay up to $2.4 billion in a deal with a dozen states over its marketing and product safety practices, state attorneys general announced Friday. The company, Allergan, is now part of AbbVie but sold its generics division Actavis, including...
‘Very hot’ — heat duration records could fall in Northwest
Extreme heat is forecast to stretch through the weekend in the Pacific Northwest and authorities are investigating whether triple-digit temperatures were to blame for the deaths of at least four people. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office said at least three people have died from suspected hyperthermia during the heat...
Pac-12’s Kliavkoff jabs Big 12, touts future after USC, UCLA departures
LOS ANGELES — Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff said his conference is far from finished, despite the defections of Southern California and UCLA. Kliavkoff confirmed the Pac-12 is actively exploring expansion and lobbed several feisty jabs at the Big 12 during an eventful opening speech at his conference’s football media day...
Blinken presses Griner, Whelan deal in call with top Russian
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov by phone on Friday and urged Moscow to accept a U.S. offer to release WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detainee, Paul Whelan It was Blinken’s first talk with his Russian counterpart since...
Russia, Ukraine trade blame for deadly attack on POW prison
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine accused each other Friday of shelling a prison in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine, an attack that reportedly killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war captured after the fall of Mariupol, the city where troops famously held out against a monthslong Russian siege....
Wounded Knee artifacts highlight slow pace of repatriations
BARRE, Mass. — One by one, items purportedly taken from Native Americans massacred at Wounded Knee Creek emerged from the dark, cluttered display cases where they’ve sat for more than a century in a museum in rural Massachusetts. Moccasins, necklaces, clothing, ceremonial pipes, tools and other objects were carefully laid...
Monarch butterflies are in trouble; Here’s how you can help
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a butterfly. My money says the fluttering insect you’re envisioning has black-veined, reddish-orange wings outlined with white specks — the iconic attributes of our beloved American monarch butterfly. Unfortunately, the species, which populates many childhood memories, is in trouble. The migrating monarch...
A key U.S. inflation gauge reaches 6.8% as prices keep surging
WASHINGTON — An inflation gauge that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve jumped 6.8% in June from a year ago, the biggest increase in four decades, and leaving Americans with no relief from surging costs. Friday’s figures from the Commerce Department underscored the persistence of the inflation that is...
Zelenskyy visits port as Ukraine prepares to ship out grain
ODESA, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a Black Sea port Friday as crews prepared terminals to export grain trapped by Russia’s five-month-old war, work that was inching forward a week after a deal was struck to allow critical food supplies to flow to millions of impoverished people facing...
Kentucky governor: Death toll from flooding rises to 25
Kentucky’s governor said it could take weeks to find all the victims of flash flooding that killed at least 25 people when torrential rains swamped towns across Appalachia. Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday that the numbers of victims would likely rise significantly as a result of record flash flooding over...
China accuses U.S. of ‘navigation bullying’ in South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — China blasted a top U.S. Navy official Friday after he criticized Beijing’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, saying it’s America’s military deployments in the disputed waters — which it called “navigation bullying” — that could spark confrontations. The Chinese Embassy in Manila said it...
Unprecedented profit for major oil drillers as prices soared
NEW YORK — Oil companies swam in record profits over the last few months at a time when Americans struggled to pay for gasoline, food and other basic necessities. On Friday, Exxon Mobil booked an unprecedented $17.85 billion profit for the second quarter and Chevron made a record $11.62 billion....
U.S. reaches deal with Moderna for next-gen omicron covid vaccine
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Friday it has reached an agreement with Moderna to buy 66 million doses of the company’s next generation of covid-19 vaccine that targets the highly transmissible omicron variant, enough supply this winter for all who want the upgraded booster. The order of the bivalent...
White House to host attorneys to discuss abortion access
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Merrick Garland will headline a White House event Friday that will bring together pro bono lawyers, bar associations and public interest groups to discuss how best to offer legal services and protections for women seeking abortions. The effort is part of an executive order signed by...
W.Va. delays chance to pass 1st new bill since abortion ruling
West Virginia lawmakers passed up the chance Friday to become the first state to approve new legislation restricting access to abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last month removing its protected status as a constitutional right. The Republican-dominated Senate adopted its version of a bill along with amendments, one...
