Associated Press stories, Page 295
Historic ship completes first leg of journey to become world’s largest artificial reef
The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef has completed the first leg of its final voyage. The SS United States, a 1,000-foot vessel that shattered the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, arrived early Monday in...
Republicans once maligned Medicaid. Now some see a program too big to touch
WASHINGTON — Every time a baby is born in Louisiana, where Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson handily won reelection last year, there’s more than a 60% chance taxpayers will finance the birth through Medicaid. In Republican Rep. David Valadao’s central California district, 6 out of 10 people use Medicaid to...
Trump’s past speeches to Congress asked them to pass his agenda. Now, he’s willing to go it alone
WASHINGTON — Judging by his past speeches to Congress, President Donald Trump once felt the need to ask lawmakers to pass his agenda. Not so much anymore. Trump, who is addressing Congress on Tuesday night, has asserted his authority to reshape the federal government without needing to consult the legislative...
Trump’s speech to Congress comes as he wields vast power almost daring lawmakers, courts to stop him
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump arrives this week on Capitol Hill to deliver a speech to Congress, a coequal branch of government he has bulldozed past this first month in office, wielding unimaginable executive power to get what he wants, at home and abroad. The Tuesday night address will unfold...
Musk’s embrace of right-wing politics risks turning off car buyers and sinking Tesla’s stock
NEW YORK — Elon Musk’s car company is required each year to report to investors all the bad things that could happen to it, and the latest version lists every imaginable threat from costly lawsuits to out-of-control battery fires to war and another epidemic. But there’s barely any mention in...
Christopher Bell makes late charge for lead, holds off William Byron at COTA for 2nd straight NASCAR victory
AUSTIN, Texas — Christopher Bell is making the most of his late-race chances to seize victories. Bell passed Kyle Busch with five laps to go, then held off Daytona 500 winner William Byron to win NASCAR’s first road course race of the season Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas....
Kroger Chairman and CEO resigns following investigation into personal conduct
Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen has resigned after an internal investigation into his personal conduct. Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery chain, said Monday that the investigation into McMullen’s personal conduct was unrelated to the business, but was found to be inconsistent with its business ethics policy. Board member Ronald...
Driver rams car into crowd in Germany’s Mannheim, leaving 2 dead and others injured
MANNHEIM, Germany — A driver rammed a car into a crowd Monday in the southwestern German city of Mannheim, and authorities said two people were killed and several others injured. A 40-year-old German from the nearby state of Rhineland-Palatinate was detained and in a hospital after being injured, State Interior...
Austria’s new government takes office after a record 5-month wait
VIENNA — Austria’s new government took office on Monday, with Christian Stocker taking over as chancellor at the head of a previously untried three-party coalition after a record five-month wait for a new administration. The new government will have to deal with rising unemployment, a recession and a creaking budget....
How to watch the 1st joint address to Congress of Trump’s 2nd term
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday night will deliver the first joint congressional address of his second presidency. It’s not officially called the State of the Union, a title reserved for a president’s annual address to Congress during other years of an administration. But it is an opportunity for...
Joe Highsmith goes from making the cut to a PGA Tour winner at the Cognizant Classic
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Joe Highsmith could feel himself crumbling under the pressure at the Cognizant Classic. This was Friday, when the only thing at stake was making the cut. It came down to a 5-foot par putt he described as “the worst putt you’d ever want,” moving from...
Private lunar lander Blue Ghost aces moon touchdown with a special delivery for NASAVideo
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private lunar lander carrying a drill, vacuum and other experiments for NASA touched down on the moon Sunday, the latest in a string of companies looking to kickstart business on Earth’s celestial neighbor ahead of astronaut missions. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander descended from lunar...
Crews battle wildfires in North and South Carolina amid dry conditions, gusty windVideo
Crews battled wildfires in North and South Carolina on Sunday amid dry conditions and gusty wind and evacuations were ordered in some areas. The National Weather Service warned of increased fire danger in the region due to a combination of critically dry fuels and very low relative humidity. In South...
Anti-DOGE protests at Tesla stores target Elon Musk’s bottom lineVideo
BOSTON — Demonstrators gathered outside Tesla stores across the U.S. Saturday to protest the automaker’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, and his push to slash government spending on behalf of President Donald Trump. The demonstrations are part of a growing backlash in North America and Europe to Musk’s disruptive role in...
Strip club Cinderella story ‘Anora’ wins best picture at 97th Academy AwardsVideo
LOS ANGELES — “Anora,” a strip club Cinderella story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize. In a stubbornly fluctuating Oscar season, “Anora,” the Palme d’Or-winner at the Cannes Film Festival,...
From Alaska to Maine, communities that border Canada worry U.S. tariffs come at a personal cost
DETROIT — At the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, a quote from former President Ronald Reagan is engraved on one wall. “Let the 5,000-mile border between Canada and the United States stand as a symbol for the future,” Reagan said upon signing a 1988 free trade pact with America’s northern neighbor....
Crowds protest near Vermont ski resort where JD Vance planned vacation with family
WAITSFIELD, Vt. — Crowds protesting Vice President JD Vance the day after an Oval Office blowout over Ukraine lined roadways Saturday near a Vermont ski resort where he planned a weekend vacation with his family. Many of the hundreds of demonstrators held signs in support of Ukraine, while other anti-war...
Francis didn’t need mechanical ventilation on Sunday after respiratory crisis Friday, Vatican says
ROME — Pope Francis remained in stable condition and didn’t need any mechanical ventilation on Sunday, the Vatican said. It was a sign that his respiratory function was improving as he continues his recovery from double pneumonia and a respiratory crisis. The 88-year-old pope did continue to receive high flow...
Kansas’ Zeke Mayo shows screenshots of racist, hateful messages he received after Texas Tech loss
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas guard Zeke Mayo showed screenshots of racist, hateful messages he received following his performance in a loss to No. 10 Texas Tech. Mayo shared the screenshots Saturday. His account on X appeared to be deactivated Sunday morning. “I 100% deserve all the criticism in the world,”...
Oscar presenters Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg rehearse before the show
LOS ANGELES — Emma Stone knows her way around the Dolby Theatre, but the even the two-time Oscar winner needs a little rehearsing before the big show. This year she’s not a nominee but a presenter, though which category she’ll be announcing is under wraps until it’s broadcast live around...
Starmer says Europe faces a ‘once in a generation moment’ as leaders discuss ending war in UkraineVideo
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rallied his European counterparts Sunday to shore up their borders and throw their full weight behind Ukraine as he announced outlines of a plan to end Russia’s war. “Every nation must contribute to that in the best way that it can, bringing different...
Israel cuts off Gaza aid to pressure Hamas to accept a new ceasefire proposal
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel stopped the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip on Sunday and warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas doesn’t accept a new proposal to extend a fragile ceasefire, while key mediator Egypt accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon.” Hamas accused...
Commanders acquire wide receiver Deebo Samuel in a trade with the 49ers, AP source saysVideo
WASHINGTON — The Washington Commanders have acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers for a fifth-round pick, pending a physical, according to a person with knowledge of the trade. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the trade cannot be official...
Jake Knapp hangs on to the lead with more than a dozen players in the mix at Cognizant ClassicVideo
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Jake Knapp survived a wild Saturday at the Cognizant Classic and avoided calamity at the troublesome par-3 15th by making a pair of late birdies for a 3-under-par 68 and a one-shot lead going into the final round at PGA National. Knapp, who opened the...
Hocevar takes his aggressive style to COTA with a promise to keep racing hard in search of 1st winVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — Carson Hocevar seems intent on driving as aggressive as ever. After all, he was the runner-up in Atlanta for a career-best finish. It also prompted a week of criticism from some veteran drivers and warnings not to make things harder on himself by making enemies on the...
