Associated Press stories, Page 1393
Biden’s State of the Union speech draws 38 million viewers
LOS ANGELES — An estimated 38.2 million TV viewers watched President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, according to Nielsen ratings. That surpassed the audience of 37.2 million for Donald Trump’s last such address in 2020, but fell short of the 45.6 million who tuned in for Trump’s first...
Judge blocks Texas investigation of trans teen’s parents
A Texas judge on Wednesday blocked the state from investigating the parents of a transgender teenager over gender-confirmation treatments, but stopped short of preventing the state from looking into other reports about children receiving similar care. District Judge Amy Clark Meachum issued a temporary order halting the investigation by the...
Thanks to $3 million bonus, Jon Rahm makes unexpected debut at Bay HillVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Jon Rahm plays so much during the West Coast swing that he could never find room in his schedule for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Now he has 1.5 million reasons to make his debut at Bay Hill. Rahm, the U.S. Open champion and No. 1 player in...
Alabama man first convicted of seditious conspiracy in riot
An Alabama man affiliated with the far-right Oath Keepers militia group pleaded guilty Wednesday to seditious conspiracy for his actions leading up and through the Jan. 6 riot, marking the first person involved in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol to be convicted of the rarely used charge. The...
Ex-Sooners QB Spencer Rattler ready for restart at South CarolinaVideo
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Spencer Rattler is not sure how things went sideways when he was Oklahoma’s quarterback, he just knows it was time for a reset and believes he’s found it at South Carolina. “I feel totally refreshed to be at a new university, a great university like this,” Rattler...
Analysis: Anger as much as money at center of broken MLB labor talksVideo
JUPITER, Fla. — Anger is at the center of Major League Baseball’s broken labor negotiations as much as money. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred’s cancellation of each team’s first two series is a byproduct of failed relationships in a fractured sport that can’t get out of its own way. Negotiators headed...
U.S. House ‘staunchly, proudly’ passes resolution for Ukraine
WASHINGTON — The U.S House has overwhelmingly approved a resolution “steadfastly, staunchly, proudly and fervently” in support of Ukraine. Lawmakers said Wednesday that history was watching the way the world responds as Ukrainians fight to save their Western-style democracy from invasion by Russia. With intensifying urgency, many in Congress said...
US Rep. Van Taylor drops Texas reelection bid, admits affair
DALLAS — U.S. Rep. Van Taylor of Texas said Wednesday that he was ending his reelection campaign and admitted having an affair following reports that he had been in a relationship with the widow of an American-born recruiter for the Islamic State group. The North Texas congressman’s announcement came the...
Philadelphia police: Boy, 12, killed after officers in car fired uponVideo
PHILADELPHIA — A plainclothes Philadelphia police officer fatally shot a 12-year-old boy in the back Tuesday night, moments after a bullet was fired into an unmarked car, police said. Police identified the youth as Thomas Siderio Jr., saying officers took him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he was pronounced...
Tiger Woods beats out Phil Mickelson for $8M impact bonusVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods still moves the needle in golf even when he barely plays. The PGA Tour informed players Wednesday that Woods was the winner of the new $40 million “Player Impact Program” that rewards those who generate the most positive interest in golf measured by five metrics....
Amazon to close all its bookstores in the U.S., United Kingdom
NEW YORK — Amazon is confirming it’s closing all of its bookstores as well as its 4-star shops and pop up locations as the online behemoth reworks its physical footprint. The Seattle-based company said Wednesday that the move, which affects 66 stores in the U.S. and two in the United...
Illinois’ ex-House speaker charged with racketeering
CHICAGO — Michael Madigan, the former speaker of the Illinois House and for decades one of the nation’s most powerful legislators, was charged with racketeering and bribery on Wednesday, becoming the most prominent politician swept up in the latest federal investigation of entrenched government corruption in the state. Madigan, 79,...
Massive cargo ship carrying luxury cars sinks in mid-Atlantic
LISBON, Portugal — A large cargo vessel carrying cars from Germany to the United States sank Tuesday in the mid-Atlantic, 13 days after a fire broke out on board, the ship’s manager and the Portuguese navy said. The Felicity Ace sank about 250 miles off Portugal’s Azores Islands as it...
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis admonishes high school students for wearing face masksVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — A visibly annoyed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis admonished a group of students for wearing face masks at an indoor news conference Wednesday, saying it was time to stop what he called “this covid theater.” DeSantis, a fierce opponent of virus mask and vaccine mandates, approached the students...
Rep. Lauren Boebert outburst on Afghanistan jolts State of the UnionVideo
WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden was coming to the end of his State of the Union address Tuesday night, a somber moment about his son’s death turned into a stunning outburst by one of the Republicans’ most outspoken members. Delivering the loudest heckling of Biden during the speech, Rep....
Wall Street roars back to rally mode, even as oil rises anew
NEW YORK — Wall Street took another sharp swing Wednesday, this time back to rally mode, as stocks and Treasury yields rose even as U.S. crude oil prices climbed to the highest level in more than a decade. The S&P 500 rose 1.9%, recouping its losses from earlier in the...
Giants add former Pittsburgh Passion player to coaching staff
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants have added a second woman to their coaching staff, and started clearing cap space for free agency by releasing veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph. Rudolph confirmed his release in a tweet. New coach Brian Daboll on Wednesday announced Angela Baker, a Carlynton...
Biden admin: Covid should no longer ‘dictate how we live’
WASHINGTON — It’s time for America to stop letting the coronavirus “dictate how we live,” President Joe Biden’s White House declared Wednesday, outlining a strategy to allow people to return to many normal activities safely after two years of pandemic disruptions. One highlight is a new “test to treat” plan...
Space junk on 5,800-mph collision course with moon
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The moon is about to get walloped by 3 tons of space junk, a punch that will carve out a crater that could fit several semitractor-trailers. The leftover rocket will smash into the far side of the moon at 5,800 mph (9,300 kph) on Friday, away...
6 ways technology is evolving travel in 2022
For the athletes at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, travel entailed … robots. Everywhere. These machines prepared and served noodles, rice and burgers, and roamed hallways to take the temperatures of passersby. They even passed the Olympic flame underwater. Yet even if you’re not an Olympian, your travels these...
Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder makes solo outing a group project
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Technically, Eddie Vedder’s new album and tour are a solo project. But the longtime Pearl Jam frontman was anything but alone on the almost-accidental venture. “The Earthling” was all about collaboration and camaraderie. “It’s my picture on the cover of the record but really there should be...
Some Russian oligarchs speak out, cautiously, against war
There have been social media messages calling for peace, an image of a murdered Russian opposition figure, a newspaper editorial demanding President Vladimir Putin “stop this war.” As Russian forces pound Ukraine’s cities, the sentiments might not be surprising. Their source is — they come from rich Russians, including billionaires...
South African court rules new Zulu king can be crowned
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A new Zulu king can be crowned in South Africa after a court settled a dispute Wednesday over whether the prince named as heir to the throne last year had a rightful claim to it. A KwaZulu-Natal high court judge in the city of Pietermaritzburg...
Ukrainian athletes join military after Russian invasion
Less than two weeks ago, Dmytro Pidruchnyi was competing at the Winter Olympics in Ukraine’s national colors. Now he’s wearing a military uniform and ballistic helmet. Pidruchnyi is a world champion in biathlon, which combines skiing and shooting, and a three-time Olympian. He returned home from Beijing last week just...
New Dr. Seuss-inspired books to feature diverse creators
Sketches of fantastic creatures by Dr. Seuss that have never before been published will see the light of day in new books being written and illustrated by an inclusive group of up-and-coming authors and artists, the company that owns the intellectual property rights to Dr. Seuss’ works announced Wednesday. The...
