Associated Press stories, Page 305
Fran Dunphy retiring at end of La Salle’s season. He’ll leave as winningest coach in Philly’s Big 5
PHILADELPHIA — La Salle’s Fran Dunphy, who has won more than 600 games and made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances in 33 seasons as coach at three of Philadelphia’s Big 5 schools, said Thursday he would retire at the end of the season. The 76-year-old Dunphy will become special assistant to...
4 Nations Face-Off is the latest in a long line of memorable international hockey competitionsVideo
The 4 Nations Face-Off already has delivered an instant classic international hockey game with the fight-filled preliminary-round matchup between the United States and Canada last week in Montreal. The U.S.-Canada rematch on Thursday night in Boston could be another memorable country vs. country showdown for a sport with deep roots...
Trump administration flouting order to temporarily lift freeze on foreign aid, judge says
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has kept withholding foreign aid despite a court order and must at least temporarily restore the funding to programs worldwide, a federal judge said Thursday. Judge Amir H. Ali declined a request by nonprofit groups doing business with the U.S. Agency for International Development to...
IRS layoffs could hurt revenue collection and foil efforts to go after rich tax dodgers, experts say
WASHINGTON — The layoffs of roughly 7,000 IRS probationary workers beginning this week likely mean the end of the agency’s plan to go after high-wealth tax dodgers and could spell disaster for revenue collections, experts say. The majority of employees shown the door at the federal tax collector are newly...
New York sues vape distributors over Elf Bar and other fruit and candy e-cigarettes
New York on Thursday sued some of the country’s biggest distributors of electronic cigarettes, accusing the companies of violating state laws that prohibit the sale of vaping flavors and designs that appeal to children. Attorney General Letitia James announced the lawsuit targeting middlemen that distribute fruit- and candy-flavored e-cigarettes such...
No injuries from explosions on Israeli busses in a suspected militant attack, police say
JERUSALEM — A series of explosions Thursday on buses rattled central Israel in what authorities suspected was a terrorist attack. No injuries were reported. The explosions happened on a day when Israel was already grieving after Hamas returned the bodies of four hostages from Gaza. The bus explosions were reminiscent...
Trump loyalist Kash Patel confirmed as FBI director by Senate despite deep Democratic doubtsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump’s bidding and go after the Republican president’s...
No, it’s not the circus. Acrobatics and tumbling, a mashup of gymnastics and cheer, is booming
PITTSBURGH — Abby McDermott has grown accustomed to the looks she gets whenever she starts talking to someone about her chosen sport. The slight turn of the head. The brief pause in the conversation. “When you say ‘acrobatics and tumbling,’ especially ‘acrobatics,’ people think of the circus,” McDermott said with...
New York governor won’t remove NYC mayor, for now, but plans to increase oversight of City Hall
NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul won’t immediately remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office, but will instead push for increased oversight of City Hall as he faces intense scrutiny over his bribery case and his relationship with the Trump administration. Hochul announced Thursday that she has, for...
Robot umpires are getting their first MLB test during spring trainingVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — A computerized system that calls balls and strikes is being tested during Major League Baseball spring training exhibition games starting Thursday after four years of experiments in the minor leagues. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is an advocate of the Automated Ball-Strike System, which potentially as early as...
Victor Wembanyama expected to miss remainder of season after blood clot diagnosis, Spurs announce
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder, the Spurs announced Thursday. It is a massive blow to the Spurs, who are contending for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. And...
Sen. Mitch McConnell won’t seek reelection in 2026, ending long tenure as Republican power broker
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is announcing on Thursday that he won’t seek reelection next year, ending a decades-long tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in...
New York governor says prison guards arrested, charged in death of handcuffed man beaten by them
UTICA, N.Y. — New York’s governor says prison workers are being arrested Thursday on murder charges in the death of an inmate who was beaten while handcuffed. The beating of Robert Brooks by multiple officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in December was caught on body cameras, triggering widespread outrage and...
When the pope is sick, Italians always gossip about who comes next — even before ‘Conclave’
ROME — The pope looms so large in everyday Italian life that there are lots of expressions that make light of even a dark event like his death. “A pope dies, they make another,” goes one, suggesting how life goes on. “Every death of a pope …” starts another, indicating...
Is spending all day on your feet at work an occupational hazard?
NEW YORK — While traveling in Europe, Margaux Lantelme noticed something different about the store cashiers: they did their work sitting down. It was a stark contrast to Chicago, where Lantelme works the register at REI and cashiers typically spend eight hours a day on their feet. For Lantelme, a...
Russia seems to have time on its side as the war in Ukraine reaches its 3rd year
When Russian troops rolled into Ukraine three years ago, they brought their parade uniforms with them on the push to Kyiv. President Vladimir Putin expected a quick victory. What Putin dubbed the “special military operation” has turned into Europe’s largest conflict since World War II. Tens of thousands have been...
What’s the key to surviving a plane crash? Skilled crew, strong seats and wings that detach
After watching videos of a Delta Air Lines jet catch fire upon landing and flip over on a Toronto runway, it’s fair to wonder how anyone could have survived. But aviation experts said it was not surprising that all 76 passengers and four crew walked away from Monday’s disaster, with...
Hamas returns bodies of 4 Israeli hostages said to include a mother and her 2 young children
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Hamas on Thursday returned the bodies of four hostages to Israel, prompting a nationwide outpouring of grief as flag-waving crowds lined highways on a rainy day to pay respect to a convoy carrying the coffins and thousands packed a Tel Aviv square in an emotional...
IRS plans to lay off 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday
WASHINGTON — The IRS will lay off roughly 7,000 workers in Washington and around the country beginning Thursday, a person familiar with the plans told The Associated Press. The layoffs affect probationary employees with roughly one year or less of service at the agency and largely include workers in compliance...
College baseball future may see greater imbalance in competition
The Division I baseball season is less than a week old, and coaches already are planning for 2026 when it’s all but certain scholarship limits will be removed, rosters downsized and players will have opportunities to make more money. They expect the fallout to be fewer opportunities for high school...
West Virginia survives final frantic seconds to beat CincinnatiVideo
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Amani Hansberry scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and West Virginia pulled out a 62-59 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday night after nearly blowing a nine-point lead in the final seconds. Trailing by six midway through the second half, the Mountaineers (16-10, 7-8 Big 12) went...
Bets pour in on 4 Nations Cup final between U.S., Canada
LAS VEGAS — The players have been emotionally invested in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and sports bettors have noticed and followed suit. Money has been pouring in on the tournament, and the championship on Thursday night in Boston — a rematch between the United States and Canada — is drawing...
NFL projects salary cap between $277.5M and $281.5M in 2025, rising by as much as $26MVideo
NEW YORK — The NFL salary cap will be between $277.5 million and $281.5 million for the 2025 season, rising as much as $26 million from last year. The bump is great news for Cincinnati, which is hoping to sign receiver Tee Higgins to a long-term contract. It also means...
Konan Niederhauser, Hicks each score 19 and Penn State routs Nebraska to end 7-game skidVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Zach Hicks each scored 19 points, D’Marco Dunn added 17 and Penn State routed Nebraska 89-72 on Wednesday night to end a seven-game losing streak. Penn State (14-13, 4-12 Big Ten) won its first game since topping Rutgers 80-72 on Jan. 20. That...
Pete Hegseth directs Pentagon to find $50 billion in cuts this year to fund Trump military priorities
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the military services to identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year in order to redirect those savings to fund President Donald Trump’s priorities. Hegseth has committed to redirecting Pentagon spending to more directly support warfighters. In a statement...
