Associated Press stories, Page 1445
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor’s 17-year-old son found dead
LONDON — Sinead O’Connor’s 17-year-old son, Shane, was found dead in Ireland on Friday after the Irish singer-songwriter notified authorities that he had gone missing. Police said the missing person case was closed after a body was found in the eastern coastal town of Bray, about 12 miles south of...
Sounding off: Penn State rewards mediocrity
Penn State rewards mediocrity, giving football coach James Franklin, a 10-year, $75 million contract. Here is a resume of his accomplishments: One Big Ten title, and that was 2016, when he had the best running back in the country; 2 wins, 13 losses against top 10 opponents; defeated Ohio State...
Space telescope’s ‘golden eye’ opens, last major hurdle
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s new space telescope opened its huge, gold-plated, flower-shaped mirror Saturday, the final step in the observatory’s dramatic unfurling. The last portion of the 21-foot mirror swung into place at flight controllers’ command, completing the unfolding of the James Webb Space Telescope. “I’m emotional about it....
Omicron explosion spurs nationwide breakdown of services
Ambulances in Kansas speed toward hospitals then suddenly change direction because hospitals are full. Employee shortages in New York City cause delays in trash and subway services and diminish the ranks of firefighters and emergency workers. Airport officials shut down security checkpoints at the biggest terminal in Phoenix and schools...
Maine governor vetoes bill to allow farm workers to unionize
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s Democratic governor has vetoed a bill that would have given farm workers in the state the right to unionize, citing the possibility of heaping new costs on an already struggling agriculture sector. The Maine Legislature passed the proposal, which called for people working in agriculture to...
Hundreds in Lebanon protest measures targeting unvaccinated
BEIRUT — Hundreds of people rallied in Beirut on Saturday to protest measures imposed against the unvaccinated, saying individuals should have the right to decide whether to be inoculated or not. Vaccination is not compulsory in Lebanon, but in recent days authorities have cracked down on people who are not...
Chinese American man attacked in New York City dies months later
NEW YORK — A Chinese American man who was brutally attacked in April while collecting cans in East Harlem has died of his injuries, and his case is now deemed a homicide, police said Saturday. Yao Pan Ma, 61, died Dec. 31, police said. The attack drew national attention as...
This date in sports history: Jan. 8
1972 — The NCAA announces freshmen will be eligible to play on varsity football and basketball teams starting in the fall. 1973 — David Vaughn of Oral Roberts grabs 34 rebounds in a 123-95 win over Brandeis. 1984 — The Executive Committee of the NCAA votes to expand the championship...
NDSU looks for 9th FCS title against upstart Montana State
FRISCO, Texas — Montana State advanced to its first championship game since 1984 after consecutive playoff wins over the teams that played for the FCS title less than eight months ago. Now the Bobcats face North Dakota State, with a record eight Football Championship Subdivision titles the previous 10 seasons...
Biden surveys Colorado wildfire damage, comforts victims
LOUISVILLE, Colo. — Offering hugs and humor, President Joe Biden comforted Coloradans grappling with rebuilding homes and businesses destroyed last week by a rare wind-whipped, winter fire that burned through a pair of heavily populated suburbs between Denver and Boulder. One victim was identified Friday and one person remained unaccounted...
Defense shines as Cleveland St. tops Robert Morris 78-77Video
MOON TOWNSHIP — Torrey Patton recorded 18 points as Cleveland State edged past Robert Morris, 78-77, on Friday night. Tre Gomillion added 14 points for the Vikings, who forced a season-high 20 turnovers.. After Yahel Hill made two free throws to give Cleveland State a 78-75 lead with 14 seconds...
Paul Newberry: Who can stop SEC from swallowing college football?
INDIANAPOLIS — As another season winds down in the frigid heart of Big Ten country, there’s no doubt who runs college football. The SEC is the beast that ate everyone else. The College Football Playoff should be abbreviated S-E-C, not C-F-P. For those suffering from SEC fatigue, who wish someone...
Myles Garrett pushing DE Jadeveon Clowney to re-sign with BrownsVideo
CLEVELAND — Myles Garrett has enjoyed chasing quarterbacks and trying to wreck games alongside Jadeveon Clowney this season. He’d love to do it again. “I want him here,” Garrett said. And what Garrett wants, he usually gets. For all that went wrong with the Browns during a disappointing season, one...
Georgia, Alabama boosted by prized transfer portal pickups
Georgia and Alabama have used the transfer portal to supplement their annual bounties of top recruits. Sure, virtually every college football team has utilized the portal to bolster rosters. But Alabama and Georgia did what they do, landing talented gems to help lead them to a national championship. The top-ranked...
Treasury: November saw highest disbursement of rental aid
States and localities in November paid out the largest amount of rental assistance to cash-strapped tenants since a federal program began, the Treasury Department said in a statement Friday. The $2.9 billion paid out is the latest sign that the program’s early hiccups have been mostly been resolved and it...
Slain officer’s sister sues Facebook for wrongful death
OAKLAND, Calif. — The sister of a slain federal security officer is suing Facebook, alleging the tech giant played a part in the radicalization of two men who are accused of planning the killing on its platform. David Patrick Underwood was fatally shot and his partner was wounded while guarding...
Biden’s economic challenge: Finding workers and goods
President Joe Biden enters the midterm election year of 2022 determined to address what economists call a “supply” problem — there aren’t enough jobseekers or goods to meet the country’s needs. This is also a political problem. The mismatch has obscured the strong growth and 3.9% unemployment rate achieved during...
Where are the covid-19 tests that Biden promised?
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced last month that the federal government will buy half a billion covid-19 rapid test kits and distribute them free to people to use at home. But despite high public demand for tests, it will still be several more weeks before these kits are available...
Sen. Ted Cruz apologizes for describing Jan. 6 attack as terrorism
NEW YORK — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had desperation written on his face. The conservative ideologue and potential 2024 presidential contender appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” show Thursday to apologize for describing the Jan. 6 insurrection as “a violent terrorist attack on the Capitol” a day earlier,...
Ahmaud Arbery killers get life in prison; no parole for father, son
BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced Friday to life in prison, with a judge denying any chance of parole for the father and son who armed themselves and initiated the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man. Murder carries a mandatory sentence...
Stalemates, court battles could squeeze Pennsylvania primary election
HARRISBURG — More extreme time pressures could push the bounds of how Pennsylvania’s elections are run in 2022, with wide-open races for a U.S. Senate seat and the governor’s office driving voter interest and partisan stalemates in the statehouse sowing uncertainty. It is barely a month before candidates can legally...
Kazakh president: Forces can shoot to kill to quell unrest
MOSCOW — Kazakhstan’s president authorized security forces on Friday to shoot to kill those participating in unrest, opening the door for a dramatic escalation in a crackdown on anti-government protests that have turned violent. The Central Asian nation this week experienced its worst street protests since gaining independence from the...
Louis Riddick happy at ESPN, yet still has goal of running a team
Louis Riddick realizes he is in a favorable position. He is an analyst on the NFL’s most iconic television package — ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” — and still has hopes of running a franchise as a general manager. But with the offseason starting for many teams on Monday, will this...
Cone, Perez, Ravech replace A-Rod, Vasgersian on ESPN Sunday
BRISTOL, Conn. — Former players David Cone and Eduardo Perez are joining Karl Ravech to form a new broadcast team for ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts. Alex Rodriguez, the scandal-tainted three-time MVP who had been on the telecasts during the past four seasons, will shift to eight Sunday night alternate...
Havin’ a record year: NFL marks set to fall in Week 18
When Eric Church sang about “havin’ a record year,” he wasn’t referring to the NFL. The country music star could have been. For the 2021 season that ends this weekend with the first set of 17th games in league history, a slew of marks are about to be set. Major...
