Associated Press stories, Page 2492
Pa. Turnpike toll evader named Stiff to pay up; had $128K in tolls, fines
PHILADELPHIA — The worst toll evader in Pennsylvania is being ordered to pay up. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Jarrett Stiff didn’t pay for trips on the Pennsylvania Turnpike 2,264 times from 2012 to 2017, more than anyone else in the state. The 36-year-old from suburban Philadelphia racked up nearly...
Bob Baffert eyes history, another wet Kentucky Derby on tap
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Bob Baffert times three. In a Kentucky Derby lacking a dominant favorite, the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer saddles the top three choices. On what could be a wet day at Churchill Downs, Game Winner is the pre-race favorite, albeit a tepid one at 9-2. Improbable and Roadster...
Kentucky Derby notebook: Hall of Famer Mike Smith gets mount
Triple Crown-winning jockey Mike Smith will ride in the Kentucky Derby after all. He picked up the mount on 30-1 shot Cutting Humor, trained by Todd Pletcher, race officials said Friday. The 53-year-old rider had been on the early 4-1 favorite, Omaha Beach, until the colt was scratched because of...
Chase Elliott wins Dover pole, but all talk centers on qualifying speeds
DOVER, Del. — Chase Elliott took a solo run on the track for qualifying and was alone atop the Dover speed chart. Elliott followed his first win of the season with a pole at Dover International Speedway, topping the speed chart on a blistering day at the track with a...
Trump, Putin discuss nuclear weapons, Mueller report
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than an hour Friday about nuclear weapons agreements, the conflict in Venezuela, North Korea and also briefly about special counsel Robert Mueller’s just completed report on Moscow’s interference in the 2016 election. “They had a very good...
Videos of fatal Connecticut police shooting of 18-year-old are released
HARTFORD, Conn. — Videos released Friday show a Connecticut police officer’s fatal shooting last month of an 18-year-old man during an attempted traffic stop and chase, which sparked protests by the teen’s relatives and activists. Wethersfield officer Layau Eulizier is seen on police dashcam and business surveillance videos running in...
Longtime married Erie couple dies within minutes of each other
ERIE, Pa. — Family members say a Pennsylvania couple that had been married for almost 45 years passed away within minutes of each other. Clair “Cos” Vance had made daily visits to a care center where his 70-year-old wife, Jeanne, lived due to mobility and medical issues. But those visits...
Michael Cohen’s prison reality: A bunk bed in barrack-style hall
NEW YORK — “The Situation” and the Fyre Festival fraudster are already there. President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, is up next. It’s not reality TV. It’s a federal prison 70 miles (113 kilometers) from New York City where white-collar and D-list scoundrels can do time while...
In ‘lawless’ world of service dogs, many families suffer
APEX, N.C. — All the counseling, therapy and medication did little to ease 9-year-old Sobie Cummings’ crippling anxiety and feelings of isolation. And so a psychiatrist suggested that a service dog might help the autistic child connect with other kids. To Glenn and Rachel Cummings, Mark Mathis seemed like a...
U.S. adds robust 263K jobs; unemployment at 49-year low: 3.6%
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added a robust 263,000 jobs in April, suggesting that businesses have shrugged off earlier concerns that the economy might slow this year and anticipate strong customer demand. The unemployment rate fell to a five-decade low of 3.6% from 3.8%, though that drop partly reflected an increase...
Teen swimmers pray for help, rescued by boat called the Amen
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A pair of Florida teens saw their prayers answered after becoming stranded about 2 miles from shore. News outlets report that 17-year-olds Tyler Smith and Heather Brown were swimming at Vilano Beach near St. Augustine during a senior skip day last month when strong currents pulled...
Trump defends health workers’ right to object to abortions
WASHINGTON — Advancing his anti-abortion agenda, President Donald Trump moved Thursday to protect health care workers who object to procedures like abortion on moral or religious grounds. Trump chose the National Day of Prayer to announce the new regulation. “Just today we finalized new protections of conscience rights for physicians,...
Here’s what’s playing at the movies this summerVideo
Summer starts in May at the movies and The Associated Press has you covered with a month-by-month guide of what’s playing at the theaters, and on Netflix, from the biggest blockbusters to the smallest indies. May “Long Shot” (May 3) —A childhood crush gets a second chance when a presidential...
Indiana woman accused of driving over boyfriend twice, killing him
CROWN POINT, Ind. — A northwestern Indiana woman accused of driving over her boyfriend twice with a car has been charged in his killing. Twenty-three-year-old Briana Rice of Hammond is charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, in the April 24 death of 25-year-old...
Facebook bans ‘dangerous individuals’ cited for hate speech
SAN FRANCISCO — After years of pressure to crack down on hate and bigotry, Facebook has banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and other extremists, saying they violated its ban on “dangerous individuals.” The company also removed right-wing personalities Paul Nehlen, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Loomer, along with...
Poll shows most Americans want changes in how government works
After more than two years of the Donald Trump presidency, Andrea Petrusky is ready for some fundamental changes in the way the U.S. government works. “Right now we’re being shown all of the loopholes, the president being able to do all the things that no president should,” said Petrusky, 46,...
Reports of sexual assault in the military spike, survey reveals
WASHINGTON — Reports of military sexual assaults jumped by 13% last year, but an anonymous survey of service members released Thursday suggests the problem is vastly larger. The survey results found that more than 20,000 service members said they experienced some type of sexual assault, but only a third of...
Rory McIlroy shares lead at Wells Fargo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy looked every bit like a player who has won twice at the Wells Fargo Championship. He just didn’t feel like one. Twice when he was out of position off the tee, he managed to make birdies. He missed a 4-foot birdie putt after his most...
AG Barr skips House hearing; Nancy Pelosi accuses him of lyingVideo
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr skipped a House hearing Thursday on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia report, escalating an already acrimonious battle between Democrats and President Trump’s Justice Department. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Barr had already lied to Congress in other testimony and called that a “crime.” Democrats...
Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca in the ‘Star Wars’ films, dies at 74
LOS ANGELES — Actor Peter Mayhew, who played shaggy, towering Chewbacca in several of the “Star Wars” films, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 74. Mayhew died at his home in Texas on Tuesday, according to a family statement. No cause was given. The 7-foot-3 Mayhew played the...
Carolina looks to finish off Islanders in Eastern Conference semifinal
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes haven’t made the playoffs often. When they do, they stick around for a while. This is just their fourth postseason appearance since 2002, but they reached the Eastern Conference final — at least — in each of their last three appearances and are one...
Many top female hockey players to boycott season in hopes for viable league
Hilary Knight would rather risk missing a year of playing meaningful hockey than settle for the status quo. The star American forward is among more than 200 of the world’s top female players who announced Thursday they will not play professional hockey in North America this year in a bold...
Bob Baffert feeling pressure but holding strong hand for Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Bob Baffert is feeling the pressure now. The five-time Kentucky Derby winner finds himself with new favorite Game Winner since Omaha Beach was scratched with a breathing problem. “Oh boy. Here we go,” the white-haired trainer said Thursday to a throng outside his Churchill Downs barn. “I...
In letter to NFL, lawyer for Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill disputes abuse
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The attorney for Tyreek Hill sent a letter to the NFL on Thursday disputing child-abuse claims made by the wide receiver’s fiancee, offering a point-by-point response to a secret recording of the couple that was made public last week. In the four-page letter, a copy of...
Celtics president Danny Ainge suffers mild heart attack
BOSTON — Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge had a mild heart attack and is expected to fully recover. The 60-year-old executive received immediate medical attention Tuesday night in Milwaukee, the team said in a statement Thursday. The Celtics were facing the Bucks in the second round of the playoffs. Ainge,...
