Associated Press stories, Page 288
Outfielder Lawrence Butler agrees to $65.5 million, 7-year deal with A’s, AP source says
Outfielder Lawrence Butler agreed to a $65.5 million, seven-year contract with the Athletics, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations said Thursday night, the latest big-money deal for a team suddenly spending as it prepares to play three seasons in a minor league ballpark. The agreement, first reported by...
Authorites reveal causes of death for Gene Hackman, his wife
SANTA FE, N.M. — Authorities revealed Friday that actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease and showed severe signs of Alzheimer’s disease a full week after his wife died of hantavirus in their home. Authorities initially ruled out foul play after the bodies were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for...
Oklahoma schools chief seeks donations to put Bibles in classrooms
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s top education official said he’s teaming with country music singer Lee Greenwood in seeking donations to get $59.99 leather-bound “God Bless the USA” Bibles into classrooms throughout the state after a legislative panel rejected his $3 million request to fund the effort. State Superintendent Ryan Walters...
Panama to allow 112 migrants deported from U.S. to move about freely in country
PANAMA CITY — Panama announced Friday that it will allow 112 migrants deported from the United States who have been held in a remote camp in the Darien region since last month to move about the country freely until they decide on their next course of action. The government cited...
Out of the lab and into the streets, researchers and doctors rally for science against Trump cuts
WASHINGTON — Researchers, doctors, their patients and supporters ventured out of labs, hospitals and offices Friday to stand up to what they call a blitz on life-saving science by the Trump administration. In the nation’s capital, several hundred people gathered at the Stand Up for Science rally. Organizers said similar...
Homeland Security ends TSA collective bargaining agreement, in effort to dismantle union protections
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it is ending the collective bargaining agreement with the tens of thousands of frontline employees at the Transportation Security Administration, marking a major effort to dismantle union protections under the Trump administration. The TSA union called it on “unprovoked attack”...
What to know about Social Security office closures driven by Musk’s DOGE
Across-the-board cuts at the Social Security Administration are prompting questions about how the benefits of millions of recipients may be affected. Among the potential changes are layoffs for more than 10% of the agency’s workforce and the closure of dozens of offices throughout the U.S. It’s all part of the...
Bragg to Liberty and back again: Ceremony to rechristen Army post once named for a Confederate
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The short-lived existence of Fort Liberty came to an end Friday when the nation’s largest Army installation officially returned to its former name: Fort Bragg. Christened a century ago in honor of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, the post in North Carolina was renamed in 2023 amid...
Measles is popping up in the U.S. Here’s how to avoid one of the world’s most contagious viruses
Measles is not often seen in the United States, but Americans are growing more concerned about the preventable virus as cases continue to rise in rural West Texas. Last week, an unvaccinated child died in the outbreak, which involves nearly 200 cases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
Thrust into unemployment, axed federal workers face relatives who celebrate their firing
NEW YORK — Scrambling to replace their health insurance and to find new work, some laid-off federal workers are running into another unexpected unpleasantry: Relatives cheering their firing. The country’s bitterly tribal politics are spilling into text chains, social media posts and heated conversations as Americans absorb the reality of...
Kennedy and influencers bash seed oils, baffling nutrition scientists
Until recently, most Americans had never heard the term “seed oils,” even though they’ve likely cooked with and consumed them for decades. It’s the catchy description coined by internet influencers, wellness gurus and some politicians to refer to common cooking oils — think canola, soybean and corn oil — that...
Private lunar lander declared dead after landing sideways in crater near moon’s south pole
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private lunar lander is no longer working after landing sideways in a crater near the moon’s south pole and its mission is over, officials said Friday. The news came less than 24 hours after the botched landing attempt by Texas-based Intuitive Machines. Launched last week,...
Lawsuit aims to strike down LGBTQ antidiscrimination protections in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two public school districts and several parents have sued the state in a bid to undo antidiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people in Pennsylvania, saying that the two-year-old regulation is illegal because it goes beyond what lawmakers intended or allowed. The lawsuit, filed in the statewide...
Why should America worry about Trump? Try the price of eggs, say some Democrats
NEW YORK — As their party struggles to navigate the early days of Donald Trump’s second presidency, some Democrats are convinced that their road to recovery lies in the price of eggs. Instead of leaning into Trump’s teardown of the federal government or his alliance with billionaire lieutenant Elon Musk,...
Nearly 100 people died of cholera in less than a month in Sudan’s White Nile State
CAIRO — Nearly 100 people died of cholera in two weeks since the waterborne disease outbreak began in Sudan’s White Nile State, said Doctors Without Borders. The international medical aid group, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, said Thursday that 2,700 people have contracted the disease since Feb. 20, including...
Trump says he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader over country’s advancing nuclear program
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — President Donald Trump said he sent a letter to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a development that was not immediately confirmed by the supreme leader but that focused the spotlight on Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. Trump made the comments in an interview aired on Friday...
U.S. employers add a solid 151,000 jobs last month though unemployment up to 4.1%
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added solid 151,000 jobs last month, but the outlook is cloudy as President Donald threatens a trade war, purges the federal workforce and promises to deport millions of immigrants. The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring was up from a revised 125,000 in January. The unemployment...
Trump’s erratic trade policies are baffling businesses, threatening investment and economic growth
WASHINGTON — Marc Rosenberg, founder and CEO of The Edge Desk in Deerfield, Illinois is getting ready to introduce a fancy ergonomic chair designed to reduce customers’ back pain and boost their productivity. He figures the most expensive one will sell for more than $1,000. But he can’t settle on...
Bengals All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson receives permission to seek tradeVideo
All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks this past season, received permission from the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday to seek a trade, according to multiple reports. ESPN first reported Hendrickson received permission to seek a trade after receiving a statement from the Bengals star. “It’s been...
Aaron Rodgers may have to wait until after NFL Draft to find team
Aaron Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion and future first-ballot Hall of Famer. He still may have to wait until after the draft to find a team for 2025. The New York Jets announced they’re releasing the 41-year-old quarterback after two disappointing seasons. Rodgers hasn’t said he...
Wyndham Clark handles a stressful test at Bay Hill to lead by 2Video
ORLANDO, Fla. — Wyndham Clark handled a stressful day at Bay Hill by eliminating as much trouble as possible. Two late birdies as the wind finally waned carried him to a 5-under-par 67 and a two-shot lead Thursday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It was clear from the start Bay...
1st national analysis finds America’s butterflies disappearing at ‘catastrophic’ rateVideo
WASHINGTON — America’s butterflies are disappearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study finds. The first countrywide systematic analysis of butterfly abundance found that the number of butterflies in the Lower 48 states has been...
New Mexico adult dies with measles, though cause of death isn’t yet confirmed
An adult who was infected with measles has died in New Mexico, state health officials announced Thursday, though the virus has not been confirmed as the cause. The person who died was unvaccinated and did not seek medical care, a state health department spokesperson said in a statement. The person’s...
SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight ends with another explosionVideo
Nearly two months after an explosion sent flaming debris raining down on the Turks and Caicos, SpaceX launched another mammoth Starship rocket on Thursday, but lost contact minutes into the test flight as the spacecraft came tumbling down and broke apart. This time, wreckage from the latest explosion was seen...
Walgreens agrees to be acquired by private equity firm for almost $10 billion
NEW YORK — Walgreens Boots Alliance says it has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners as the struggling retailer looks to turn itself around after years of losing money. Walgreens said Thursday that Sycamore will pay $11.45 per share, giving the deal an equity value just...
