Associated Press stories, Page 2368
Texas governor says ‘mistakes’ made in immigrant rhetoric
EL PASO, Texas — Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday “mistakes were made” when he sent a fundraising mailer that called on supporters to “defend Texas” from illegal immigration, which was dated a day before a gunman targeting Mexicans killed 22 people in El Paso. The letter was condemned as...
Surprise! 23-year-old Townsend of U.S. upsets Halep at Open
NEW YORK — The pure, raw emotion from Taylor Townsend came through after she delivered one last crisp forehand volley to complete her U.S. Open upset of two-time major champion Simona Halep, then clenched her fists, raised her arms and yelled, “Yes! Yes!” before patting her heart. And there it...
Teammates mourn slayings of pitcher’s family in Va. town
KEELING, Va. — Blake Bivens was inconsolable as the 24-year-old minor league pitcher flew from a road trip back to southern Virginia, where his wife, 1-year-old son and mother-in-law were slain. “It was awful,” said Montgomery Biscuits manager Morgan Ensberg, who traveled with Bivens on Tuesday. “Blake is an incredibly...
New Mexico official: Retake state land leased to Epstein
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico’s attorney general urged officials Thursday to retake state trust land that had been leased to Jeffrey Epstein’s ranch, saying the financier’s bid for the scrubby, desert acreage meant for cattle grazing should not have been granted. In a statement, Attorney General Hector Balderas accused Epstein...
Rules changes could come to NCAA if California bill passes
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA wants a level playing field for all athletes, even if state law proposals threaten its longtime model for amateur sports. With the California assembly considering a potentially landmark measure that would allow athletes at state colleges and universities to profit from the use of their names,...
Marshal says fugitives had 8-hour head start on authorities
PHOENIX — The U.S. marshal for Arizona says a fugitive couple suspected of murder escaped by tying up two security guards near the Utah state line. In an interview Thursday with Phoenix radio station KTAR-FM, David Gonzales shared more details about how 56-year-old Blane Barksdale and 59-year-old Susan Barksdale escaped...
Alex Trebek, saying he’s on the mend, back at ‘Jeopardy!’
LOS ANGELES — “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek has returned to work, saying he’s “on the mend” following treatment for pancreatic cancer. The game show posted a video Thursday on Twitter showing the 79-year-old host back on set and promising “a good year” ahead. He actually started work on July 22,...
U.S. proposes easing rules on methane emissions
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to revoke many of its regulations covering oil-industry leaks of methane, a potent climate-changing gas. EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement Thursday that the agency is following President Donald Trump’s directive to remove regulatory burdens on the oil and gas...
Judge ends case against Epstein, with a nod to the accusers
NEW YORK — A judge has formally ended the criminal case against financier Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman on Thursday granted prosecutors’ request to dismiss charges against Epstein after he killed himself in jail Aug. 10 while he was awaiting his sex trafficking trial. The judge’s action was...
Ouch! Pro runner steps into Michigan pothole, breaks leg
FLINT, Mich. — There’s more evidence of Michigan’s woeful roads: A champion runner says he fractured a leg bone when he stepped into a pothole during a 10-mile race in Flint. Chris Derrick, a three-time U.S. Cross Country champion, posted a photo of his right leg on Instagram. View this...
Magnitude 6.3 earthquake rumbles 150 miles off Oregon coast
COOS BAY, Ore. — An underwater earthquake with an initial 6.3 magnitude has struck off the Oregon coast. The U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday no tsunami is expected from the temblor, which happened about 150 miles from land. It was at a depth of about 5.4 miles underwater. There were...
Creating depth chart a players’ affair at Penn State
STATE COLLEGE — Every year at this time, college football fans wait anxiously for coaching staffs to settle on their first depth chart of the season, giving them their first look at what their favorite teams will look like on the field when the season opens. James Franklin gave Penn...
Pennsylvania court: Making gun-like hand gesture is a crime
LANCASTER COUNTY — A Lancaster County man convicted of disorderly conduct for making a shooting gesture with his hand has lost his bid to have it overturned. A state appellate court made the ruling Tuesday on the appeal brought by Stephen Kirchner, 64. The man from Manor Township made the...
Apple sanctions phone-repair shops for iPhone fixes
NEW YORK — There may soon be more places to get an Apple-sanctioned fix for a cracked iPhone screen. Apple said Thursday that it will sell tools and parts to independent phone-repair shops in the United States and later in other countries. The repair shops need to have an Apple-certified...
Greek leader wants talks with Germany on war reparations
BERLIN — Greece’s newly elected prime minister has said during a visit in Berlin that he hopes Germany will agree to start negotiations on war reparations. After a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told reporters “we hope there will be a positive response.”...
Hurricane Dorian picks up steam, menaces Florida
MIAMI (AP) — Leaving mercifully little damage in its wake in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, a strengthening Hurricane Dorian posed an increasing menace to Florida on Thursday as it swirled toward a possible direct hit on the state over Labor Day weekend. Along much of Florida’s east coast,...
‘This ain’t your mother’s marijuana,’ surgeon general says
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are issuing a national warning against marijuana use by adolescents and pregnant women , as more states legalize some forms of the drug’s use. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Surgeon General Jerome Adams made the announcement Thursday. The warning comes as more...
Watchdog: Comey violated FBI policies in handling of memos
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s inspector general says former FBI Director James Comey violated FBI policies in his handling of memos documenting private conversations with President Donald Trump. The watchdog office says Comey broke FBI rules by giving a memo containing unclassified information to a friend with instructions to share...
‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary involved in fatal boat crash
TORONTO — “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary says he was on a boat that was involved in a fatal crash in Canada over the weekend. Ontario Provincial Police Staff Sgt. Carolle Dionne said Wednesday two boats crashed on Lake Joseph near Seguin, Ontario, killing a Florida man identified as 64-year-old...
Virginia man gets 5 years in prison for dog burned alive
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia man will serve five years in prison without parole for the death of a pit bull that was tied to a fence, covered in accelerant and set on fire. Richmond police announced Wednesday that the sentence was part of 20-year-old Jyahshua A. Hill’s plea agreement....
Authorities: Man dies after falling from cliff in Ohio park
LOGAN, Ohio — Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources says an Ohio man has died in a fall off the edge of a cliff in Hocking Hills State Park. Department spokeswoman Maureen Kocot said in a release that 22-year-old Alexander Colson was hiking Saturday on an overlook trail at Old Man’s...
Home turf: Browns’ Mayfield to star in ads living in stadium
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — Baker Mayfield has a new teammate. She rocks a headband, too. The Browns’ charismatic quarterback has entered a marketing partnership with Progressive and will star alongside his wife, Emily Wilkinson, in a national advertising campaign for the insurance giant. The ad shows the couple as new...
Corey Dickerson homers as Phillies rout PiratesVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Rhys Hoskins did more with less. The slumping slugger doubled, tripled and drove in a run as the Philadelphia Phillies got 17 hits in a 12-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Hoskins has been struggling mightily at the plate this month and made a game-changing...
Pennsylvania to close another prison as inmate ranks shrink
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is planning to close another prison, as the inmate population continues to decline and prison costs rise, lawmakers and union officials said Wednesday. Prison officials briefed lawmakers and Retreat state prison staff in northeastern Pennsylvania about their plans to close the facility in March, but have not...
Immigrants in U.S. military face new citizenship rule for their children
PHOENIX — The Trump administration on Wednesday introduced new rules that will make it harder for children of some immigrants serving in the military to obtain citizenship. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released updated guidance Wednesday that appears to mostly affect non-citizen service members but which caused confusion among immigration...
