Associated Press stories, Page 1267
Oklahoma governor orders special audit of Tulsa schools
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday called for a special audit of Tulsa Public Schools for what he said was a potential mishandling of public funds. Stitt said he ordered the audit at the request of Tulsa school board members E’Lena Ashley and Jennettie Marshal, who wrote...
Pennsylvania budget would leave billions unspent, boost education funding
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House, nearly a week into the state’s new fiscal year, began passing budget legislation Thursday to add billions into surplus accounts, significantly boost education spending and fund new environmental programs. The House passed the main budget bill with little debate on a 180-20 vote hours after...
IRS asks Treasury watchdog to probe James Comey, Andrew McCabe audits
WASHINGTON — The IRS commissioner has asked the Treasury Department’s internal watchdog to immediately review the circumstances surrounding intensive tax audits that targeted ex-FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, frequent targets of Donald Trump’s ire during his presidency. IRS spokesperson Jodie Reynolds said Thursday the agency...
Rafael Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon before semifinal with injury
WIMBLEDON, England — Rafael Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon on Thursday because of a torn abdominal muscle, announcing his decision a day before he was supposed to play in the semifinals. “Unfortunately, as you can imagine, if I am here, it’s because I have to pull out from the tournament,” Nadal...
Twitter says it removes 1 million spam accounts a day
Twitter said it removes 1 million spam accounts each day in a call with executives Thursday during a briefing that aimed to shed more light on the company’s fake and bot accounts as it tussles with Elon Musk over “spam bots.” The Tesla CEO, who has offered to buy Twitter...
With U.S. dollar nearly equal to euro, impact is being felt
WASHINGTON — The U.S. dollar has been surging so much that it’s nearly equal in value to the euro for the first time in 20 years. That trend, though, threatens to hurt American companies because their goods become more expensive for foreign buyers. If U.S. exports were to weaken as...
James Caan, Oscar nominee for ‘The Godfather,’ dies at 82
James Caan, the curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone of “The Godfather” and to television audiences as both the dying football player in the classic weeper “Brian’s Song” and the casino boss in “Las Vegas,” has died. He was 82. His manager Matt DelPiano...
Georgia slabs called satanic by some torn down after bombing
ATLANTA — A rural Georgia monument that some conservative Christians criticized as satanic and others dubbed “America’s Stonehenge” was demolished Wednesday after a predawn bombing turned one of its four granite panels into rubble. The Georgia Guidestones monument near Elberton was damaged by an explosive device, the Georgia Bureau of...
Tadej Pogacar wins 6th stage of Tour and takes yellow jersey
LONGWY, France — Tadej Pogačar is back in the yellow jersey at the Tour de France. And it’s earlier than perhaps even he expected. On the way to his wins in the 2020 and 2021 Tours, Pogačar took the yellow jersey in the mountains, but on Thursday all he needed...
At Wimbledon, Ons Jabeur 1st woman from Africa in pro Slam final
WIMBLEDON, England — Ons Jabeur’s steady progress from year to year — up the tennis rankings, through the draws of various tournaments and, now, at Wimbledon — has carried her to a Grand Slam singles final, the first African woman and Arab woman to make it that far in the...
Yellowstone floods reveal forecasting flaws as world warms
BILLINGS, Mont. — The Yellowstone National Park area’s weather forecast the morning of June 12 seemed fairly tame: warmer temperatures and rain showers would accelerate mountain snow melt and could produce “minor flooding.” A National Weather Service bulletin recommended moving livestock from low-lying areas but made no mention of danger...
Wisconsin court rules against transgender sex offender
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled Thursday that a transgender woman cannot change her name because she is on the state’s sex offender registry and the law does not allow people on the registry to change their names. The court’s 4-3 decision upholds the rulings of...
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates retreat this week
WASHINGTON — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates eased again this week as the Federal Reserve remains likely to raise its benchmark borrowing rate in its ongoing battle to bring down inflation. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate fell to 5.30% from 5.70% last week. One year...
Amazon Prime adding free Grubhub meal delivery for members
Amazon will give its U.S. Prime members free access to meal delivery service Grubhub for a year under a deal announced Wednesday. The Grubhub Plus membership — which normally costs $9.99 per month — lets customers order from thousands of restaurants with no delivery fees on most orders. Amazon Prime...
Michigan governor hopeful pleads not guilty in Jan. 6 riot
A Republican candidate for Michigan governor pleaded not guilty Thursday for his actions during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when he says he and other supporters of then-President Donald Trump were exercising their free speech rights. Ryan Kelley appeared via video for a brief hearing...
Russia taking ‘operational pause’ in Ukraine, analysts say
KYIV, Ukraine — Foreign analysts say Russia may be temporarily easing its offensive in eastern Ukraine as the Russian military attempts to reassemble its forces for a significant - and what it hopes could prove decisive - offensive to conquer the neighboring country. On Wednesday, Russian forces made no claimed...
Former cop Derek Chauvin gets 21 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Derek Chauvin to 21 years in prison for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, a move that adds a few years to the time the former Minneapolis police officer is already serving for his murder conviction while transferring him to federal...
Griner appears in court, pleads guilty in Russia drugs trial
MOSCOW — Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner on Thursday pleaded guilty to drug possession during her trial in Moscow but said she had no intention of committing a crime. Representatives for Griner confirmed to The Associated Press that the WNBA star pleaded guilty to drug possession charges. Russian news...
More Americans apply for jobless aid for 5th straight week
WASHINGTON — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week and while layoffs remain low, it was the fifth consecutive week that claims topped the 230,000 mark. Applications for jobless aid for the week ending July 2 rose to 235,000, up 4,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported...
Pittsburgh International Airport to get $20 million of FAA’s $1 billion for terminals and upgrades
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is giving nearly $1 billion to 85 airports to expand and upgrade terminals and other facilities, using money approved in last year’s huge infrastructure bill. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the projects will help meet future demand for travel and make flying safer and more...
1st bull run in Pamplona in 3 years takes place; no gorings
PAMPLONA, Spain — The first bull run in three years took place Thursday at the San Fermín festival in the Spanish city of Pamplona. No one was gored, but several runners took knocks and hard falls as tens of thousands people reveled in the return of one of Europe’s most...
From Brexit to Partygate, a timeline of Boris Johnson’s career
LONDON — He was the mayor who basked in the glory of hosting the 2012 London Olympics, and the man who led the Conservatives to a thumping election victory on the back of his promise to “get Brexit done.” But Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister was marred by his...
One scandal too many: British PM Boris Johnson resigns
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation Thursday amid a mass revolt by top members of his government, marking an end to three tumultuous years in power in which he brazenly bent and sometimes broke the rules of British politics. Months of defiance ended almost with a...
Reports: Law enforcement officers shoot man on West Virginia highway
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Several law enforcement authorities shot a man on a federal highway in West Virginia, news outlets reported Wednesday, and video of the shooting was circulating on social media. Authorities did not release details or respond to requests for more information. In the video, the man walks onto...
Damage reports, power outages reported after Ohio stormVideo
Authorities say tens of thousands of customers were without power and damage reports were coming in after severe weather including a tornado was reported east of Cincinnati. The National Weather Service office in Wilmington said it was receiving “reports of damage throughout our area” and posted a video of damage...
