Associated Press stories, Page 258
Top Democrats protest after reported firing of National Security Agency director
WASHINGTON — Top congressional Democrats on Thursday protested the reported firing of Gen. Tim Haugh as director of the National Security Agency, with one lawmaker saying the decision “makes all of us less safe.” The Washington Post reported late Thursday that Haugh and his civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy...
Avalanche’s Cale Makar becomes NHL’s 9th defenseman to score 30 goals in a single seasonVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Avalanche’s Cale Makar scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night to become the NHL’s ninth defenseman — and the first with Colorado — to reach the 30-goal plateau in a season. The sixth-year player is the NHL’s first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark...
Brown University to see half a billion in federal funding halted by Trump administration
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is planning to halt more than half a billion dollars in contracts and grants awarded to Brown University, adding to a list of Ivy League colleges that have had their federal money threatened as a result of their responses to antisemitism, a White House official...
Bears and veteran QB Case Keenum agree to 1-year, $3 million deal, AP source saysVideo
The Chicago Bears added a veteran quarterback to help Caleb Williams, agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract with journeyman Case Keenum, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Thursday night. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal had...
Sam Ryder takes only 21 putts for a 63, leads Texas Open
SAN ANTONIO — Sam Ryder wasn’t sure his neck would feel good enough for him to play Thursday in the Valero Texas Open. He found a swing and hardly missed a putt on his way to a 9-under-par 63 and a one-shot lead over Keith Mitchell in the final tournament...
Bruce Pearl of Auburn, Kelvin Sampson of Houston a reflection of changing gameVideo
SAN ANTONIO — A decade ago, Bruce Pearl of Auburn and Kelvin Sampson of Houston were emerging from exile — two coaches who had been handed the harshest sanction imaginable by the NCAA and were looking to resurrect their once-successful careers. This week, they’re both coaching at the Final Four,...
Auburn’s Johni Broome ready to face Florida, says there’s no pain in elbowVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Auburn forward Johni Broome returned to practice for the Tigers on Thursday and said he has no pain in his right elbow and “no limitations” ahead of the Tigers’ Final Four matchup with Florida. Broome, a unanimous first-team AP All-American, is the Tigers’ leading scorer and emotional...
Some diehard baseball fans in sports-crazed Sacramento welcome Athletics and hope they stay awhileVideo
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Van Thompson walked through the busy concourse shortly before first pitch and sang along to the national anthem, a white Athletics ball cap in hand covering his heart. Earlier Wednesday morning, Susan Falcon took her dog out on the other side of town near a bustling...
Braves are desperate for recovery as they enter their home opener as the majors’ only winless teamVideo
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves’ longest winless start since 2016 has left manager Brian Snitker desperate for a recovery he hopes begins with the team’s home opener against Miami on Friday night. Atlanta blew a 5-0 lead and lost 6-5 on Shohei Ohtani’s ninth-inning homer Wednesday night. The loss left...
UCLA coach Cori Close uses lessons learned from time with UConn’s Geno Auriemma over a decade agoVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — When Cori Close was starting out at UCLA 14 years ago, she called Geno Auriemma and asked if she could fly across the country to watch his UConn team practice during the NCAA Tournament because her team wasn’t playing in March Madness. It was Close’s first head...
Texas and South Carolina are familiar foes and bring stingy defenses into Final Four meetingVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Among the many things Texas coach Vic Schaefer admires about South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, her consistency stands out the most. UConn’s Geno Auriemma has set the standard in women’s basketball with 24 Final Four appearances and 11 national titles, both records. For Schaefer, Staley — who’s in...
Hodge finally takes over at West Virginia after leading North Texas into NIT semifinalsVideo
For a week after he was hired at West Virginia, new men’s basketball coach Ross Hodge wore two hats. Hodge stayed on as the coach at North Texas to get the Mean Green prepared to play in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament, where they lost Tuesday night to...
Geno Smith agrees to 2-year, $75 million extension with Raiders
HENDERSON, Nev. — Quarterback Geno Smith, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders nearly a month ago, agreed to two-year, $75 million extension, ESPN reported Thursday. Smith’s new deal takes him through the 2027 season and includes $66.5 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. The Raiders acquired Smith for a...
Police say a 17-year-old was fatally stabbed by another student at a Texas track meetVideo
FRISCO, Texas — A 17-year-old student was fatally stabbed by another student during an altercation at a high school track meet in suburban Dallas on Wednesday, police said. The suspect, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, was taken into custody and charged with murder, according to police in Frisco, about 30 miles north...
Trump says Musk will probably leave in ‘a few months’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that Elon Musk would likely leave his administration in “a few months,” the clearest sign that his most powerful and disruptive adviser will be wrapping up his work inside the government. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that “Elon is fantastic” but...
Storms kill 7 in the South and Midwest as forecasters warn of catastrophic rain, floods this weekVideo
LAKE CITY, Ark. — Standing alongside the twisted steel tractors on his family farm in northeast Arkansas on Thursday, Danny Qualls looked on while friends and relatives helped him begin cleaning up. The home where he spent his childhood but no longer lives was flattened by one of many tornadoes...
Judge says U.S. government may have ‘acted in bad faith’ as he weighs contempt over deportation order
WASHINGTON — A federal judge said Thursday that the Trump administration may have “acted in bad faith” by trying to rush Venezuelan migrants out of the country before a court could block their deportations to El Salvador. U.S. District Judge Jeb Boasberg in Washington pressed a Justice Department lawyer to...
Senate confirms Mehmet Oz to take lead of Medicare and Medicaid agency
WASHINGTON — Former heart surgeon and TV pitchman Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed Thursday to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz became the agency’s administrator in a party line 53-45 vote. The 64-year-old will manage health insurance programs for roughly half the country, with oversight of Medicare,...
North Dakota mayor resigns after sending lewd video to city attorney by mistake
MINOT, N.D. — The mayor of one of North Dakota’s largest cities resigned after an investigation into him mistakenly sending a lewd video to the city attorney. Minot Mayor Tom Ross, who is nonpartisan, resigned Tuesday, the same day an investigative report was made public that found Ross sent a...
Pentagon watchdog to review Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal app to convey plans for Houthi strike
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s acting inspector general announced Thursday that he would review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app to convey plans for a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen. The review will also look at other defense officials’ use of the publicly available encrypted...
Demand for viral ‘torpedo’ baseball bats has sent a Pennsylvania factory into overdrive
KING OF PRUSSIA — A 70-year-old man who plays in an area senior hardball league popped into Victus Sports this week because he needed bats for the new season. Plus he just had to take some cuts with baseball’s latest fad and see for himself if there really was some...
Dow drops 1,600 as stocks lead worldwide sell-off after Trump’s tariffs cause covid-like shock
NEW YORK — Wall Street shuddered, and a level of shock unseen since covid’s outbreak tore through financial markets worldwide Thursday on worries about the damage President Donald Trump’s newest set of tariffs could do to economies across continents, including his own. The S&P 500 sank 4.8%, more than in...
Trump’s tariffs aren’t strictly reciprocal. Here’s how he calculated them
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump promised tariffs that would raise U.S. import taxes high enough to mirror what other assess as trade penalties on American goods. What he’s actually imposing is based on far more complicated math. Here’s a look at how the White House got its numbers: Why do...
USC star JuJu Watkins is the AP Player of the Year and just the 4th sophomore to earn that honor
TAMPA, Fla. — JuJu Watkins, the sensational sophomore who led Southern California to its best season in nearly 40 years, was honored Thursday as The Associated Press women’s college basketball Player of the Year. Watkins, whose Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season title for their first conference crown in 31...
UCLA’s Cori Close is the AP Coach of the Year after a historic season for the top-seeded Bruins
TAMPA, Fla. — Cori Close, who led UCLA to its first women’s Final Four during one of the best seasons in school history, was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year on Thursday. The Bruins earned the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll...
