Associated Press stories, Page 242
U.S. intelligence contradicts Trump claims linking gang to Venezuelan government to speed deportations
WASHINGTON — A new U.S. intelligence assessment found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government, contradicting statements that Trump administration officials have made to justify their invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and deporting Venezuelan migrants, according to U.S. officials. The classified assessment from the National Intelligence...
Trump floats U.S.-Europe meeting as Vance visits Italy for 2nd day of talks on tariffs
ROME (AP) — A back-to-back round of U.S.-Italy talks on tariffs shifted to Rome on Friday as U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the White House suggested a broader U.S.-Europe summit was under consideration. “I’ve been missing you,” Meloni jokingly told Vance as he entered...
Oklahoma City to mark 30 years since the bombing that killed 168 people and shook America
A bomb with a force powerful enough to instantly destroy much of a nine-story building shattered a quiet Oklahoma City morning and sent a shock wave through America. Saturday is the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, the deadliest homegrown attack in United States history that exposed a dark...
Rubio says U.S. will drop Ukraine-Russia peace efforts if no progress within days
PARIS — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the U.S. may “move on” from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting. He spoke in Paris after...
Crews restore power to nearly all clients after island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Power was restored to 98.8% of clients early Friday after an island-wide blackout hit Puerto earlier this week, authorities said. More than 1.45 million customers had electricity less than 48 hours after the outage hit, according to Luma Energy, which oversees the transmission and distribution...
Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza; Huckabee makes 1st appearance as U.S. ambassador
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 17 people early Friday including children, hospital workers said, as the new U.S. ambassador to Israel made his first public appearance in Jerusalem. Among the dead were 10 people in Jabaliya, including eight from the same house, according...
3 tourists among 4 killed after Italian cable car crashes to the ground near Naples
ROME — Three tourists were among four people who were killed when a cable car crashed south of Naples, an Italian official said Friday. A British woman and an Israeli woman were among the three foreign victims identified since the accident on Thursday, said Marco De Rosa, the spokesperson for...
Sen. Van Hollen meets with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador amid court fight over U.S. return
SAN SALVADOR — Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia on Thursday evening in El Salvador, coming face to face with the wrongly deported man after two days in the country pushing for his release. The Democratic senator posted a photo of the meeting on X but...
Deadly U.S. airstrike on Yemeni oil port appears to escalate Trump’s campaign against the Houthis
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. airstrike on an important oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed more than 70 people and wounded many others, marking a major escalation in the military campaign President Donald Trump launched last month against the Iranian-backed group. The overnight strike on the...
Browns GM compares Travis Hunter to Shohei Ohtani
BEREA, Ohio — Andrew Berry has often referred to Travis Hunter as a unicorn. On Thursday, the Browns general manager went one step further and compared the Heisman Trophy winner to reigning National League MVP and baseball two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Many are expecting Tennessee to take Miami QB Cam...
Rockies hire former Pirates manager Clint Hurdle as hitting coachVideo
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies fired hitting coach Hensley Meulens and replaced him with former manager Clint Hurdle — who also managed the Pirates — on Thursday. The Rockies, who had the day off before starting a series against the Nationals, are 3-15. They are hitting .220, tied for 27th...
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred meets with President Donald Trump at White House
NEW YORK — Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred met this week at the White House with President Donald Trump. “President Trump is a longtime fan of baseball,” MLB said in a statement Thursday. “As he has done in the past, Commissioner Manfred was pleased to visit the White House again to...
Luka Doncic eager to start playing big games for Lakers
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Luka Doncic has been with the Los Angeles Lakers for 2 1/2 months now, and he’s feeling fairly comfortable in his new home. He is building chemistry with his new teammates, who are getting used to his brilliant passes, prolific scoring outbursts and fiery competitiveness. But...
Deion Sanders, Buffs face scrutiny over retiring jersey numbers of Shedeur Sanders, Travis HunterVideo
BOULDER, Colo. — Deion Sanders offered a way to soothe any hard feelings over the recent announcement that Colorado’s dynamic tandem Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders skipped the line to have their jersey numbers retired this weekend. Hugs and handshakes for all. “Can we start off with me just shaking...
Justin Thomas makes 11 birdies for a 61 to take the lead at Harbour TownVideo
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas had a round to match the immaculate weather Thursday at Harbour Town with 11 birdies that allowed him to tie the course record with a 10-under-par 61 to lead the RBC Heritage. The best shot he hit all day was an 8-iron that...
CB Tre’Davious White rejoining Bills on 1-year, $6.8 million dealVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Cornerback Tre’Davious White is rejoining the Buffalo Bills after agreeing to a one-year contract worth up to $6.8 million, the player’s agent told the Associated Press on Thursday. Agent Kevin Conner confirmed the agreement, which was first reported by ESPN. The 30-year-old White returns to Buffalo...
UnitedHealthcare killing suspect Luigi Mangione indicted on death penalty-eligible charges
NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione was indicted Thursday on a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a required step as prosecutors work to make good on the Trump administration’s order to seek the death penalty for what it called a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked...
Panthers’ Puljujarvi suspended 2 games for illegal check to head of Lightning’s ChaffeeVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida Panthers forward Jesse Puljujarvi, formerly of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Thursday. Puljujarvi received a match penalty after running his right shoulder into...
Bengals expected to focus on defense in NFL Draft with offensive stars signed to extensionsVideo
The Cincinnati Bengals might have the most predictable strategy of any team going into the NFL Draft. With quarterback Joe Burrow and his top two playmakers — wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — under long-term contracts and taking up a huge portion of the salary cap, director of...
With few major holes on roster, Ravens might not have exciting NFL DraftVideo
BALTIMORE — It’s no accident that so many NFL executives declare they’ll take the best player available in the draft. That type of comment avoids telegraphing to other teams what positions a GM might actually be focusing on. It’s also an expression of confidence — a suggestion the roster is...
NBA playoffs might be wide-open race to title again
There was Toronto in 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, Milwaukee in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Denver in 2023 and Boston in 2024. Six seasons, six champions. A run of parity like none other in NBA history. And now the Celtics get their turn at bucking that trend....
NFL Draft intrigue likely to begin when Browns go on clock
Some years, the true intrigue about how the rest of the NFL Draft’s first round could develop doesn’t happen until at least the third or fourth pick. This year though, it will begin with the Cleveland Browns, who have the second overall selection. It marks the first time since 2021...
Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Kush + Orange Juice’ changed his game. 15 years later, a sequel recaptures the spiritVideo
NEW YORK — Who understood the cool kids better than Wiz Khalifa? In 2010, the easygoing Pittsburgh rapper released his breakout mixtape “Kush + Orange Juice,” crafting the ideal soundtrack for stylish stoners — breezy songs about girls and weed broadcast through his generously enunciated flow. For those paying attention,...
College football players chasing dollars with portal open and House settlement approval delayed
The opening of the college football transfer portal has created a dash for cash. The delay in approving the House vs. NCAA antitrust settlement means the rules around compensation are not yet in place, blowing up the market for the amount of money players can receive from their schools’ name,...
Supreme Court keeps hold on Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship but sets May arguments
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday kept on hold President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship but agreed to hear arguments on the issue in May. Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally has been halted nationwide by...
