Associated Press stories, Page 2453

DETROIT — At this point, Clint Hurdle is probably used to managing for more than nine innings. Colin Moran hit an RBI single in the top of the 10th, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Wednesday night. It was the second straight night Hurdle’s Pirates beat...

PHOENIX — A Phoenix couple are accused of forcing a Mexican day laborer into sex at gunpoint and filming another encounter to blackmail him. Jorge Murrieta, 45, and Brenda Acuna-Aguero, 39, were arrested last week on suspicion of sexual assault, aggravated assault and unlawful recording of a person, according to...

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho’s governor now has sweeping authority to eliminate thousands of state-approved rules without public participation or lawmaker oversight. That’s because the state Legislature, which is controlled by Gov. Brad Little’s fellow Republicans, failed to pass a bill approving 8,200 pages containing 736 chapters of rules and regulations...

A Pennsylvania state government watchdog agency has launched an investigation into the horrific case of a 14-year-old girl who had extensive contact with the child welfare system before her 2016 rape, torture and murder, a lawmaker who requested the review announced Wednesday. The Office of State Inspector General has agreed...

NEW ORLEANS — The crowdfunding campaign to raise money for three African American churches gutted by arson in Louisiana began a week ago, but donations surged after flames engulfed the roof of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and the outcry provoked a conversation about the disparate reactions to the tragedies....

CHICAGO — Despite recusing herself from the case, Chicago’s top prosecutor weighed in on the allegations against Jussie Smollett last month, telling a deputy that she believed her office had overcharged the “Empire” actor, according to newly released texts and emails. The text message exchange unfolded more than two weeks...

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Ji-Hwan Bae was suspended for 30 games for violating minor league baseball’s domestic violence policy. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said the suspension will start Thursday. Bae agreed to a minor league contract in March 2018 for a $1.2 million signing bonus. He was accused by a...

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House is approving tougher penalties for people who don’t report suspicions about repeated child sexual abuse and it’s clarifying that nondisclosure agreements can’t prevent people from talking to police in child molestation investigations. Lawmakers on Wednesday voted for a proposal that could also eliminate the statute...

NEW YORK — Federal safety officials are investigating an American Airlines flight in which the plane tipped in strong wind and a wingtip hit a runway marker during takeoff from New York’s Kennedy Airport. The pilots cut short the flight to Los Angeles and landed back at JFK about 30...

LITTLETON, Colo. — A young Florida woman who traveled to Colorado and bought a shotgun for what authorities feared would be a Columbine-inspired attack just days ahead of the 20th anniversary was found dead Wednesday in an apparent suicide after a nearly 24-hour manhunt. Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader said...

NEW YORK — Scientists restored some activity within the brains of pigs that had been slaughtered hours before, raising hopes for some medical advances and questions about the definition of death. The brains could not think or sense anything, researchers stressed. By medical standards “this is not a living brain,”...

INDIANAPOLIS — A Kentucky woman is suing an Indiana-based company that issued a recall last week for melon products linked to a salmonella outbreak. Tammy France, 50, of Louisville alleges in her federal lawsuit that she spent a week hospitalized with salmonella poisoning after eating pre-cut melon made by Caito...

CINCINNATI — Federal authorities said Wednesday they have charged 60 people, including 31 doctors, for their roles in illegally prescribing and distributing millions of pills containing opioids and other dangerous drugs. U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman of Cincinnati described the action as the biggest known takedown yet of drug prescribers. Robert...

NEW YORK — Sen. Amy Klobuchar has agreed to become the second Democratic presidential candidate to hold a town hall meeting on Fox News Channel. Fox’s announcement comes two days after Sen. Bernie Sanders participated in a similar meeting on Fox. It reached 2.55 million viewers, more than any other...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A NASA astronaut will spend nearly a year at the International Space Station, setting a record for women. Station astronaut Christina Koch will remain on board for about 11 months, until February — approaching but not quite breaking Scott Kelly’s 340-day U.S. record. “One month down....

LOS ANGELES — Beyoncé has surprised her fans by releasing a soundtrack to her Netflix documentary “Homecoming.” The 37-year-old superstar debuted “Homecoming: The Live Album” Wednesday, the same day a Netflix documentary exploring her historic performances at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was released. She was the...

MELBOURNE, Australia— A man was killed and his wife critically injured on Wednesday when they were attacked by their pet deer on a rural Australian property, police said. The 46-year-old man entered the stag’s enclosure in the morning at Moyhu in Victoria state, Police Sergeant Paul Pursell said. “His wife...

WASHINGTON — From Ben Affleck and Susan Sarandon to Anna Wintour and Willie Nelson, celebrities lined up to give money — and a dash of star power — to their favorite Democratic presidential candidates ahead of this week’s first quarter fundraising deadline. For months, candidates in the crowded field of...

WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit fell for the second straight month in February, and the politically sensitive deficit in the trade of goods with China narrowed. The Commerce Department says the gap between the goods and services that the United States sells and what it buys from the rest...

NEW YORK — A burgeoning movement to outlaw fur is seeking to make its biggest statement yet in the fashion mecca of New York City. Lawmakers are pushing a measure that would ban the sale of all new fur products in the city where such garments were once common and...

PAINESVILLE, Ohio — Police say an unruly customer at a restaurant in Ohio pulled an iguana from under his shirt, swung it around and threw it at the manager. Painesville police were called to the Perkins restaurant around noon Tuesday. Police say they apprehended the suspect a few blocks away...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stepping up pressure on Cuba, the Trump administration will allow lawsuits against foreign companies doing business in properties seized from Americans after the island’s 1959 revolution, a senior administration official said. The move marks a change in more than two decades of U.S. policy on Cuba. President...

PARIS — Nearly $1 billion has already poured in from ordinary worshippers and high-powered magnates around the world to restore the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, after the French president set a controversial five-year deadline to get the work done. Construction teams brought in a huge crane and a...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Tampa Bay Lightning ended up on the wrong side of NHL history, getting swept in the first round of the playoffs after one of the best regular seasons ever. The Columbus Blue Jackets capped a stunning sweep of the Presidents Trophy winners with a 7-3 victory...

DETROIT — Starling Marte dropped down a sacrifice bunt in the fifth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ game against Detroit. Not exactly the norm for the outfielder, but a sign of how much he’s struggled early this season. Later, with the score tied in the 10th, it was time to...