Associated Press stories, Page 290
Wall Street rebounds after Trump pulls back on some of his tariffsVideo
NEW YORK — Stocks climbed Wednesday after President Donald Trump pulled back on some of his tariffs temporarily. The move revived hope on Wall Street that Trump may avoid a worst-case trade war that grinds down economies and sends inflation higher. The S&P 500 rose 1.1% to bounce back from...
Appeals court allows removal of watchdog agency head as legal battle rages over Trump firing
WASHINGTON — An appeals court in Washington removed the head of a federal watchdog agency on Wednesday in the latest twist in a legal fight over Republican President Donald Trump’s authority to fire the special counsel. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided...
Tom Llamas to succeed Lester Holt as NBC ‘Nightly News’ anchor
NEW YORK — NBC News appointed Tom Llamas on Wednesday to replace Lester Holt as anchor of “Nightly News” starting this summer, but he’s not abandoning his streaming newscast. The elevation of Llamas, 45, was widely anticipated. He has been Holt’s chief substitute on the broadcast news summary since switching...
House Speaker Johnson’s top aide is arrested on charge of driving under the influence, police say
WASHINGTON — The chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Johnson was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing into a police vehicle following President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. Hayden Haynes was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence and later released....
Trump issues ‘last warning’ to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued what he called a “last warning” to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza, directing a sharply worded message after the White House confirmed that he had recently dispatched an envoy for unprecedented direct talks with the militant group. Trump,...
Pokémon-shaped Cheeto, ‘Cheetozard,’ sells at auction for $87,840
NEW YORK — A Cheeto shaped like the beloved Pokémon Charizard has sold at auction for a total cost of $87,840. The Goldin auction house listed the snack as sold on Sunday. “Presented is a 3-inch long Flamin’ Hot Cheeto in the shape of the Pokémon Charizard, affixed to a...
Xander Schauffele ready to return from rib injury with modest expectations at Bay HillVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Xander Schauffele took his first swing on a PGA Tour course in 57 days and found the middle of the fairway. And then he took another golf ball from his bag and tossed it into the thick rough. That was the real test. “If this doesn’t go...
Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon bring out best in each other
DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon’s childhood idol and role model has turned into a training partner and an offseason neighbor back home in the Halifax area of their native Nova Scotia. One of his closest friends, too. MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby have developed a tight bond, which made winning the 4...
Pennsylvania to spend $10 million on new voter registration system
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is spending more than $10 million to replace its electronic voter registration database with an election management system that will also provide election night results and handle campaign finance filings and lobbyist registration. Secretary of State Al Schmidt announced Wednesday the Civix system should be fully in...
‘Read this e-mail immediately’: CDC tells about 180 fired employees to come back to work
NEW YORK — The nation’s top public health agency says about 180 employees who were laid off two weeks ago can come back to work. Emails went out Tuesday to some Centers for Disease Control and Prevention probationary employees who got termination notices last month, according to current and former...
Mets spent more in 4 years than Pirates, Marlins and Rays over past 21
NEW YORK — The New York Mets led the major leagues in spending for the third straight season in 2024 and have totaled $1.36 billion in payroll and luxury tax over four years under owner Steve Cohen, exceeding what the Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays each have...
Firing squad could become Idaho’s main execution method under a bill awaiting governor’s approval
BOISE — Death by firing squad could become Idaho’s primary method of execution under a bill headed to the governor’s desk this week. The Idaho Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, and it will take effect next year if it is signed by Gov. Brad Little. Firing-squad executions have been...
Devils star Jack Hughes done for season after having shoulder surgeryVideo
NEWARK, N.J. — New Jersey Devils leading scorer Jack Hughes had shoulder surgery and is out for the season, a blow to the team’s hopes of making a playoff run. The team said Hughes had surgery on his right shoulder in Vail, Colo., on Wednesday after tests and conversations with...
Seahawks star receiver D.K. Metcalf requests trade
D.K. Metcalf wants out of Seattle. A person with knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press that the longtime Seahawks wide receiver asked for a trade. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the request was not announced publicly. Metcalf, a two-time Pro Bowler, has...
Lightning acquire Gourde and Bjorkstrand and Panthers get Vanecek as NHL trade action heats upVideo
The Tampa Bay Lightning answered the cross-state-rival and defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers’ first couple of additions ahead of the NHL trade deadline with a big move of their own. The Lightning on Wednesday acquired forwards Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from Seattle in a three-team trade that also...
Eagles retain All-Pro LB Zack Baun before he tests free agency
All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun is staying with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl champions announced Wednesday they agreed on a three-year deal with Baun through the 2027 season. A person familiar with the details told the Associated Press that Baun’s contract is worth $51 million, including $34 million guaranteed. The...
Federal judge blocks NIH funding cuts to medical research, including at CMU
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from drastically cutting medical research funding that many scientists say will endanger patients and cost jobs. The new National Institutes of Health policy would strip research groups of hundreds of millions of dollars to cover so-called indirect expenses of studying Alzheimer’s,...
Seahawks release longtime wide receiver Tyler Lockett in cost-cutting move
SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks released Tyler Lockett on Wednesday, parting ways with the franchise’s second all-time leading receiver in a cost-cutting move ahead of the new league year. Lockett, a 10-year veteran, caught 661 passes for 8,564 yards and 61 touchdowns in Seattle, trailing only Hall of Famer Steve...
Raiders extend pass rusher Maxx Crosby’s contract
HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders extended the contract of star defensive end Maxx Crosby, the club said Wednesday. The terms weren’t immediately announced. Crosby has been one of the NFL’s elite pass rushers with 59 1/2 sacks since being selected in the fourth round of the 2109 draft....
Cincinnati native Sam Hubbard retiring from football after 7 seasons with the hometown Bengals
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard announced his retirement Wednesday. The Cincinnati native spent seven seasons with the Bengals, who selected him in the third round of the 2018 draft. Hubbard had 38 1/2 sacks in 104 games while helping Cincinnati return to prominence, including a berth in...
Jaguars are releasing WR Christian Kirk after 2 injury-filled seasons, AP source says
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are releasing receiver Christian Kirk after two injury-filled seasons. The move is expected to happen as soon as Wednesday, according to a person familiar with negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side has confirmed Kirk’s departure....
Divided Supreme Court reinstates order requiring Trump administration to release frozen foreign aid
WASHINGTON — A sharply divided Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a lower-court order for the Trump administration to release frozen foreign aid, but it was not clear how quickly money would start flowing. By a 5-4 vote, the court rejected an emergency appeal from the Republican administration, while also telling...
Panama president calls Trump’s talk of ‘reclaiming’ the Panama Canal a lie
PANAMA CITY — Panama President José Raúl Mulino on Wednesday accused U.S. President Donald Trump of lying when he said in his address to Congress that his administration was “reclaiming” the Panama Canal. Trump was referencing a deal announced Tuesday for a consortium led by the U.S. investment management company...
Shapiro says he wants to recruit laid-off federal workers to fill Pa. job openings
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday that he wants his administration to try to fill openings in the state’s workforce by recruiting federal workers who might be losing or leaving their jobs as part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce....
Trump administration plans to cut 80,000 employees from Veterans Affairs, according to internal memoVideo
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that provides health care for many former service members, according to an internal memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. The VA’s chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, told top-level...

