Associated Press stories, Page 298
Republican lawmakers look for ways to weaken state judges
TOPEKA, Kansas — Measures in several state legislatures this year have called for new approaches to weaken the power of judges. One would abandon a centuries-old precedent that courts can decide whether laws are constitutional. Another would change how judges are selected. Tension between the courts and other branches of...
Texas says this doctor illegally treated trans youth. He says he followed the law
EL PASO, Texas — On the Texas border, Dr. Hector Granados treats children with diabetes at his El Paso clinics and makes hospital rounds under the shadow of accusations that have thrown his career into jeopardy: providing care to transgender youth. In what’s believed to be a U.S. first, Texas...
Nurses’ stories recount terror of armed man’s attack at York County hospital
HARRISBURG — A nurse who survived an armed man’s attack on an intensive care unit in a York County hospital said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that she was held against him as a shield at gunpoint, arms zip-tied behind her back, as they walked through a doorway and...
Recent aviation disasters and close calls stoke fears about the safety of flying
All the recent aviation disasters and close calls have people worried about the safety of flying. The midair collision that killed 67 near Washington D.C. last month was the worst disaster. But there was also the plane that crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto, the fiery plane crash...
American Airlines flight discontinues landing to avoid departing plane at Washington National
ARLINGTON, Va. — An American Airlines plane arriving at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport discontinued its landing, performing a go-around at an air traffic controller’s instruction to avoid getting too close to another aircraft departing from the same runway, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The maneuver involving American Flight 2246...
Thieves nab pricey bulldogs from a Colorado pet store after faking a seizure, sheriff says
DENVER — Thieves nabbed a pair of high-priced bulldogs from a Colorado pet store after a man allegedly faked a seizure to distract employees while an accomplice grabbed the puppies from a pen and ran out, authorities said. The theft, which was captured on surveillance video, happened Sunday. Three men...
Gene Hackman, wife and dog were dead for some time, warrant shows
SANTA FE, N.M. — Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, his wife and one of their dogs were apparently dead for some time before a maintenance worker discovered their bodies at the couple’s Santa Fe home, according to investigators. Hackman, 95, was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom and his 63-year-old wife, Betsy...
Indiana pulls away late to beat Penn State
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Oumar Ballo had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, Myles Rice scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half and Indiana beat Penn State, 83-78, on Wednesday night. Trey Galloway made a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions and Anthony Leal capped the 8-0 run with...
IndyCar starts season with big stars, big hopes, new TV partnerVideo
Fox Sports marked its new oversight of the IndyCar Series with glossy new commercials that have been showcased everywhere from the Super Bowl to the Daytona 500. The network partnership begins in earnest this weekend with the season-opening race on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg, Fla. There is hope...
Pope Francis shows further slight improvement as he battles pneumonia, the Vatican says
ROME — Pope Francis has shown further slight improvement as he battles double pneumonia, but doctors said Wednesday his prognosis is still guarded. A chest CT scan taken Tuesday evening showed the “normal evolution” of an infection as it is being treated, the Vatican said in its late update. The...
Mississippi judge vacates her order that a newspaper remove its editorial criticizing local leaders
A Mississippi judge on Wednesday vacated her order that a newspaper remove its editorial criticizing local officials, days after a city decided to drop the lawsuit that spurred it. The judge’s order had been widely condemned by free speech advocates as a clear violation of the paper’s First Amendment rights....
Pentagon orders new purge of social media sites to dump diversity, inclusion mentions by March 5
WASHINGTON — Building lethality in the military may be the buzzword for the new Trump administration, but busywork and paperwork have become the reality at the Pentagon, as service members and civilian workers are facing a broad mandate to purge all of the department’s social media sites and untangle confusing...
49ers GM John Lynch says team has started contract talks with QB Brock PurdyVideo
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said the team has begun negotiations with quarterback Brock Purdy about a long-term contract and believes both sides want to get a deal done. Purdy’s contract extension is one of the main items on the offseason to-do list for San Francisco. He is...
Saints GM, coach indicate they plan to stick with QB Derek CarrVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis sees 11-year veteran quarterback Derek Carr as “a guy we can win with, and we’re excited about it.” Loomis made those comments Wednesday to a small group of New Orleans-based reporters who traveled to Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine. Carr...
Fendi celebrates 100 years with lush runway show and Sean Paul rocking the after-party
MILAN — Fendi celebrated 100 years with a mega runway show Wednesday that highlighted the Roman fashion house’s roots as a maker of luxurious fur stoles that grew into a touchstone of Italian craftsmanship under the creative direction of the late Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi. Five Fendi Generations...
Diesel evokes zombie apocalypse at Milan Fashion Week with milky gazes and spray-painted smilesVideo
MILAN — The zombie apocalypse is now, according to Italian denim brand Diesel, which sent models onto a heavily graffiti-ed runway with unsettling milky gazes and spray-painted smiles. Revealing silhouettes set the tone for the Fall-Winter 2025-26 co-ed collection premiered Wednesday on the second day of Milan Fashion Week. Mini...
Burning Man art plane gets a new life as a Las Vegas party venue
A hulking section of a decommissioned jumbo jet that was transformed into a party venue at the 2017 Burning Man Festival is getting a new life off the Las Vegas Strip. The cockpit and section of the fuselage of the Boeing 747 were towed Wednesday from a spot at the...
Private company rockets toward the moon in the latest rush of lunar landing attempts
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private company launched another lunar lander Wednesday, aiming to get closer to the moon’s south pole this time with a drone that will hop into a jet-black crater that never sees the sun. Intuitive Machines’ lander, named Athena, caught a lift with SpaceX from NASA’s...
NFL reviewing possible changes to overtime rules; 1st downs to be measured electronicallyVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL is considering changing overtime rules in the regular season to decrease the advantage for teams that win the coin toss. “It’s time to rethink the overtime rule,” league executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. Vincent said the competition committee agrees overtime rules...
Trump administration sets March 21 deadline for New York to end traffic congestion pricing
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s administration has given New York until next month to comply with its order to halt Manhattan’s new congestion pricing system, but state officials on Wednesday vowed to continue the tolling program, which is meant to thin traffic and pump new revenue into the nation’s...
Trump administration says it’s cutting 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Wednesday it is eliminating more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance around the world, putting numbers on its plans to eliminate the majority of U.S. development and humanitarian help abroad. The...
New Orleans Privateers suspensions related to possible NCAA violations
NEW ORLEANS — Four New Orleans players who’ve been suspended since late January are under investigation for possible NCAA violations related to sports gambling, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the university’s only public statement about...
Vagabond A’s enter Sacramento era with playoff expectations
MESA, Ariz. — The Athletics have moved about an hour east from Oakland to the Sacramento area, where they will be based in a minor-league ballpark for the next three seasons while hoping a more permanent home in Las Vegas will be ready in 2028. If this doesn’t sound like...
Heisman winner Travis Hunter already has NFL convinced he can be 2-way playerVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Travis Hunter arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine with a Heisman Trophy resume, an invitation to work out at two positions and ready to answer all doubters. The former Colorado star already appears to have completed one task this week in Indianapolis — convincing coaches and general managers...
Famous Ludvig Aberg, unknown Brian Campbell are both important to PGA Tour
One week the PGA Tour winner was Ludvig Aberg, a Swede so supremely talented that he played in a Ryder Cup before his first major, entered the top 10 in the world ranking just nine months after he left college and has been there ever since. The next week it...

