Associated Press stories, Page 1424
Sex abuse case in snowboarding exposes flaws in reporting systemVideo
DENVER — When former members of the U.S. snowboarding team wanted to report sex-abuse allegations against a longtime coach, they received conflicting information that left them unsure of where to turn — or whether they wanted to pursue the cases at all. An Instagram post during the Olympics by a...
WR A.J. Green returns to Cardinals on 1-year dealVideo
TEMPE, Ariz. — Receiver A.J. Green is coming back to the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year deal. The seven-time Pro Bowler played in 16 games last season, catching 54 passes for 848 yards and three touchdowns. The 33-year-old is expected to be the team’s No. 2 option next to three-time...
Ohio man blaming Trump’s ‘orders’ for riot actions found guiltyVideo
WASHINGTON — An Ohio man who testified he was “following presidential orders” from Donald Trump when he stormed the U.S. Capitol was convicted Thursday of obstructing Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. A federal jury also found Dustin Byron Thompson, 38, guilty of stealing a coat rack from...
Snake bite killed Maryland man who had over 100 snakes at home
POMFRET, Md. — A man found dead in his home with more than 100 snakes, including cobras and black mambas, died of a snake bite, officials in Maryland said. A medical examiner’s office told local news outlets Wednesday the victim died of “snake envenomation” and the death was accidental. The...
A safe bet: If you want a casino job, odds are on your side
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — As a casino dealer, Shamikah Townsend knows when the odds are in her favor. And they definitely are right now. While working at one Atlantic City casino last year, she went to a job fair held by a different one, and was surprised at how instantly...
Brooklyn subway attack suspect ordered held without bail
NEW YORK — The man accused of opening fire on a crowded subway train in Brooklyn was ordered held without bail as prosecutors told a judge Thursday he terrified all of New York City. Frank James, 62, spoke only to answer “yes” to standard questions during the brief proceeding in...
Pa. board passes 4th year of state universities’ tuition freeze
HARRISBURG — Students at Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities won’t see tuition increase next year under a unanimous vote Thursday by the the system’s board. The State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors passed what will be the fourth year of flat tuition, as the struggling system hopes the Legislature will...
Floods in South Africa’s Durban area kill more than 340
JOHANNESBURG — Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 341 people in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, including the city of Durban, and more rainstorms are forecast in the coming days. The death toll is expected to rise as scores of people, including whole families, are missing, officials said...
Russian warship Moskva sinks after Ukrainians claim strike
KYIV, Ukraine — The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, a guided-missile cruiser that became a potent target of Ukrainian defiance in the opening days of the war, sank Thursday after it was heavily damaged in the latest setback for Moscow’s invasion. Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel...
California food plant fire prompts evacuations for thousands
SALINAS, Calif. — A massive fire at a Northern California food processing plant plume prompted authorities to tell thousands of nearby residents to evacuate Thursday and to order tens of thousands more to stay inside their homes. The fire at the Taylor Farms packaged salad plant in Salinas, about 110...
Abortions stop in Kentucky as groups seek to block new law
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Abortion-rights groups went to court Thursday seeking to restore abortion services in Kentucky, where the last two abortion clinics signaled they couldn’t immediately comply with sweeping new restrictions imposed by the Republican legislature. Two lawsuits filed in federal court in Louisville asked that a judge intervene to...
Brit convicted in Islamic State beheadings trial
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A jury convicted a British national Thursday for his role in an Islamic State group hostage-taking scheme that took roughly two dozen Westerners captive a decade ago, resulting in the deaths of four Americans, three of whom were beheaded. The jury deliberated for four hours before finding...
Pope visits Italian prison for Holy Week foot-washing ritual
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis traveled to a prison near Rome to wash the feet of a dozen inmates, a Holy Thursday ritual that symbolizes humility and highlights his papacy’s attention to those on society’s margins. He arrived Thursday afternoon in a motorcade that included Italian police cars, which entered...
Abortion restriction bill signed by Fla. Gov. DeSantis
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law Thursday as the state joined a growing conservative push to restrict access ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could limit the procedure nationwide. The new law marks a significant blow to abortion access in...
Elon Musk wants to buy Twitter, make it ‘maximally trusted’
In 10 days, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has gone from popular Twitter contributor and critic to the company’s largest individual shareholder to a would-be owner of the social platform — a whirlwind of activity that could change the service dramatically given the sometimes whimsical billionaire’s self-identification as a free-speech absolutist....
AP sources: Trump aide Stephen Miller to speak to 1/6 panel
WASHINGTON — Stephen Miller, who served as a top aide to President Donald Trump, will appear Thursday before the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to two people familiar with the matter. Miller was a senior adviser for policy during the Trump administration and a central figure in...
U.S. jobless claims rise but remain near a half-century low
WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up last week but remained at a historically low level, reflecting a robust U.S. labor market with near record-high job openings and few layoffs. Jobless claims rose by 18,000 to 185,000, the Labor Department said Thursday, after nearly touching the...
WHO says Covid cases, deaths in Africa drop to lowest levels yet
JOHANNESBURG — The number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Africa have dropped to their lowest levels since the pandemic began, marking the longest decline yet seen in the disease, according to the World Health Organization. In a statement on Thursday, the U.N. health agency said covid-19 infections due to...
Tesla issues 2nd recall for obstructing pedestrian warning
DETROIT — Tesla is recalling nearly nearly 595,000 vehicles in the U.S., most for a second time, because a “Boombox” function can play sounds over an external speaker and obscure audible warnings for pedestrians. The electric car company says in government documents that the new recall will disable “Boombox” if...
Police search for motive in Brooklyn subway suspect’s videos
NEW YORK — Frank James posted dozens of videos ranting about race, violence and his struggles with mental illness. One stands out for its relative calm: A silent shot of a packed New York City subway car in which he raises his finger to point out passengers, one by one....
Talk of race, sex in schools divides Americans, poll shows
WASHINGTON — Americans are deeply divided over how much children in K-12 schools should be taught about racism and sexuality, according to a new poll released as Republicans across the country aim to make parental involvement in education a central campaign theme this election year. Overall, Americans lean slightly toward...
Pfizer to seek covid booster for healthy 5- to 11-year-olds
Pfizer said Thursday it wants to expand its covid-19 booster shots to healthy elementary-age kids. U.S. health authorities already urge everyone 12 and older to get one booster dose for the best protection against the newest variants — and recently gave the option of a second booster to those 50...
Amazon adds 5% ‘fuel and inflation surcharge’ to seller fees
Amazon is taking a step to offset its rising costs, announcing Wednesday it will add a 5% “fuel and inflation surcharge” to fees it charges third-party sellers who use the e-commerce giant’s fulfillment services. The Seattle-based company said on its website that the added fees, which take effect April 28,...
Capitol riot defendant: I was following Trump’s instructions
An Ohio man charged with storming the U.S. Capitol and stealing a coat rack testified Wednesday that he joined thousands of protesters in ransacking the building last year on what he thought were orders from the president, Donald Trump. Dustin Byron Thompson, 38, of Columbus, Ohio, said he took to...
23 injured in Texas storms; more tornadoes forecast in SouthVideo
SALADO, Texas — Nearly two dozen people were injured when tornadoes swept through central Texas as part of a storm system that was expected to spawn more twisters and damaging wind Wednesday. The storms caused widespread damage Tuesday in Salado, about 50 miles north of Austin. Bell County Judge David...
