Associated Press stories, Page 1347
Bird flu drives free-range hens indoors to protect poultry
Is it OK for free-range chickens to not range freely? That’s a question free-range egg producers have been pondering lately as they try to be open about their product while also protecting chickens from a highly infectious bird flu that has killed roughly 28 million poultry across the country. The...
Elon Musk says he has $46.5B in financing ready to buy Twitter
Elon Musk says he has lined up $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter, and he’s trying to negotiate an agreement with the company. Last week, Musk announced an offer to buy the social media company for $54.20 per share, or about $43 billion. At the time, he did not...
2 months after Brittney Griner’s arrest, mystery surrounds her case
For another person in another country at another time, the case might have been a minor matter: an American citizen detained at an airport for allegedly possessing a cannabis derivative legal in much of the world. But the circumstances for Brittney Griner couldn’t have been worse. Griner, a WNBA All-Star...
U.S. to welcome Ukraine refugees but no longer through Mexico
The Biden administration is making it easier for refugees fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine to come to the United States from Europe while trying to shut down an informal route through northern Mexico that has emerged in recent weeks. A program announced Thursday will streamline refugee applications for Ukrainians and...
Biden announces heavy artillery, other weapons for Ukraine
President Joe Biden on Thursday announced an additional $800 million in military aid to help Ukraine fight back in its strong but increasingly difficult battle against the Russian invasion, but he also warned that Congress will need to approve even more assistance if the U.S. is to keep up its...
Ford recalls over 650K trucks; windshield wipers can fail
Ford is recalling more than 650,000 pickup trucks and big SUVs in the U.S. because the windshield wipers can break and fail. The recall covers certain F-150 pickups, and Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs from the 2020 and 2021 model years. Also included are F-250, 350, 450 and 550...
Many say Biden not tough enough on Russia: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON — Many Americans still question whether President Joe Biden is showing enough strength in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, even as most approve of steps the U.S. is already taking and few want U.S. troops to get involved in the conflict. A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center...
Trump-backed hopeful, 2 others booted off Tennessee GOP ballot
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Republican officials have removed three congressional hopefuls from the GOP primary ballot, including one candidate backed by former President Donald Trump. The late Tuesday night decision by the Tennessee Republican Party was a long awaited result of months of debate over Morgan Ortagus, Trump’s former State Department...
Feeling ‘right,’ ‘safe,’ people greet cannabis sales in NJ
Michael Barrows wore his Grateful Dead T-shirt and Jerry Garcia face mask for opening day of recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey on Thursday, one of dozens of people who lined up before dawn to join the celebratory scene. “It’s pretty amazing, exciting and if I get pulled over on...
Gaza violence intensifies as Jerusalem clashes resume
Israel’s air force and Palestinian militants traded fire across the Gaza frontier early Thursday as clashes erupted again at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, worsening an escalation that has been eerily similar to the lead-up to last year’s Israel-Gaza war. The Gaza violence, fueled by the unrest between Israeli police...
13 Nassar victims seeking $130M from FBI over bungled probe
Thirteen sexual assault victims of Larry Nassar are seeking $10 million each from the FBI, claiming a bungled investigation by agents led to more abuse by the sports doctor, lawyers said Thursday. It’s an effort to make the government responsible for assaults that occurred after July 2015. The Justice Department’s...
Biden drug control plan stresses harm reduction, treatment
President Joe Biden is sending his administration’s first national drug control strategy to Congress as the U.S. overdose death toll hit a new record of nearly 107,000 during the past 12 months. The strategy, released Thursday, is the first national plan to prioritize what’s known as harm reduction, said White...
Florida Legislature votes to strip Disney self-government
The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday gave final passage to a bill that would dissolve Walt Disney World’s private government, handing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis a victory in his feud with the entertainment giant over its opposition to a measure that critics have dubbed the ” Don’t Say Gay...
Michigan lawmaker’s forceful speech rebuts ‘grooming’ attackVideo
LANSING, Mich. — Republican Sen. Lana Theis opened a Michigan Senate session with an invocation by claiming children are being attacked by “forces” that want to indoctrinate them with ideas their parents do not support. Three Democrats walked out of last week’s meeting to protest her apparent reference to how...
Jay Wright resigns as Villanova coach; Kyle Neptune takes over
PHILADELPHIA — Jay Wright shocked college basketball Wednesday night with his immediate resignation at Villanova, the Big East program he led to two national championships and four Final Fours in a Hall of Fame career. The 60-year-old Wright guided Villanova to titles in 2016 and 2018 and just led the...
2 schools, 6 sets of sports teams: NCAA gives OK to merger
HARRISBURG — Sports teams at six state-owned Pennsylvania universities will still compete against each other despite merging into two umbrella institutions, the State System of Higher Education announced Wednesday. The decision by the NCAA Division II Membership Committee pertains to sports in Division II at Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Mansfield, California,...
Parachute demo at Nats Park causes brief Capitol evacuationVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated Wednesday evening when police identified an aircraft that they said posed “a probable threat” — but the plane was actually carrying members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights, who then parachuted into Nationals Park for a pregame demonstration. The alert from the...
Fox Sports makes Easter Sunday a NASCAR ratings success
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dirt will be back on NASCAR’s schedule next year and likely on Easter Sunday again if Fox Sports has its way. NASCAR delivered the most-watched race at Bristol Motor Speedway since 2016 on Sunday night when an average 4,007,000 viewers tuned in as the Cup Series raced...
Coordinator changes spice up spring practices at Big Ten schoolsVideo
MADISON, Wis. — During an offseason in which more than one out of every five Football Bowl Subdivision programs changed head coaches, the Big Ten was the lone conference that didn’t see a single move. But that doesn’t mean the league stood pat. While all 14 Big Ten members returned...
Duke’s Paolo Banchero declares for NBA DraftVideo
Duke’s Paolo Banchero is leaping to the NBA after one season as a candidate to be the No. 1 overall draft pick. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound freshman announced his decision in a social media video Wednesday, with the school saying he planned to hire an agent. “It has always been a...
Report: 49ers All-Pro WR Deebo Samuel requests trade
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel told ESPN on Wednesday that he has requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers as the two sides have been unable to negotiate a long-term deal for one of the league’s top playmakers. Samuel is entering the final year of the...
Masters champ Scheffler returns to work, partners with Palmer in New OrleansVideo
AVONDALE, La. — One of the perks from winning the Masters is recognition that comes from outside the world of golf. For Scottie Scheffler, that included a letter from fellow Dallas resident and former President George W. Bush. One problem. “His handwriting is really hard to read,” Scheffler said Wednesday....
Watson embraced by teammates in Browns’ offseason programVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Deshaun Watson made a strong impression on his new teammates long ago, scrambling for first downs and rifling touchdown passes while becoming an elite quarterback playing in Houston. Now in Cleveland, the impression he makes off the field might matter more. Acquired from the Texans in a...
Justice Department to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday. The notice came minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal...
Florida Senate passes bill to end Disney self-government
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Senate on Wednesday passed a bill to repeal a law allowing Walt Disney World to operate a private government over its properties in the state, escalating a feud with the entertainment giant over its opposition to what critics call the ” Don’t Say Gay ”...
