Associated Press stories, Page 32
Ukrainian teen flees country during war, grows into NYC high school tennis champion
NEW YORK — Mariia Vainshtein never heard the noise and slept straight through that horrible night four years ago. She didn’t have her phone near bed when she woke the next morning — it probably had been taken by her parents for some teenager’s misbehavior, she suspects now with a...
ICE officer training is ‘deficient’ and ‘broken,’ former agency lawyer tells congressional forum
WASHINGTON — A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer who was responsible for training new deportation officers warned Monday that the agency’s training program for new recruits is “deficient, defective and broken.” Ryan Schwank’s comments during a forum held by congressional Democrats come at a time of intense scrutiny...
U.S. women’s hockey team declines invitation from Trump to attend State of Union
WASHINGTON — The U.S. women’s hockey gold medal-winning team has politely declined an invitation from President Donald Trump to attend his State of the Union address on Tuesday. “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal—winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of...
Cowboys leaning toward using franchise tag on receiver George Pickens
INDIANAPOLIS — The Dallas Cowboys are leaning toward using the franchise tag on receiver George Pickens while continuing to discuss a long-term contract, vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said Monday. Jones spoke to reporters at the NFL scouting combine, declining to put a timeline on getting a deal done...
Ontario’s premier says ‘the walls are closing in’ on Trump after Supreme Court tariff decision
TORONTO — The leader of Canada’s most populous province said Monday “the walls are closing in” on President Donald Trump after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s tariffs and said he’s also looking forward to the U.S. midterm elections in November which could further constrain Trump. Ontario...
Federal court rejects GOP-led Utah Legislature’s latest try to block House map that helps Democrats
New Utah voting districts that give Democrats an improved shot at winning a U.S. House seat can be used in this year’s election, a federal court ruled Monday while turning aside a Republican request to block the new map. The ruling marked the second setback in recent days for Republicans,...
Citizen journalists, citizen sleuths helping to unravel the tangle of Epstein documents
When sifting through the seemingly endless collection of documents in the Epstein files gets to be too much and Ellie Leonard needs a break, she takes a walk outside. Then it’s back to the computer. The New Jersey mother of four is among hundreds of citizen-journalists, or sleuths, absorbed by...
Duke rises to No. 1 in AP Top 25 men’s hoops poll for record 148th time; Florida, Alabama make leaps
Duke’s win against Michigan has propelled the Blue Devils to a familiar perch: No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. The Blue Devils climbed two spots to top Monday’s poll, marking the 148th appearance at No. 1 to add to what was already the record for any...
FBI director invites fresh scrutiny over travels with appearance at U.S. men’s hockey team celebration
WASHINGTON — When the American men’s hockey team retreated to their locker room to celebrate their Winter Olympics gold medal win, they were joined by a special guest from the United States: FBI Director Kash Patel. For some supporters of the embattled law enforcement official, it was a patriotic, good-natured...
Illegal gold mining surges into new parts of Peru’s Amazon, threatening rivers and lives
BOGOTA, Colombia — Illegal gold mining is spreading into new parts of Peru’s Amazon, advancing along remote rivers and into Indigenous territories as experts warn of a widening environmental and public health crisis that could cause irreparable damage. The surge marks a new phase for one of the Amazon’s most...
Geno Auriemma’s 655th AP Top 25 appearance moves him past Tara VanDerveer
Geno Auriemma broke a tie with Tara VanDerveer for most appearances by a coach in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 on Monday when UConn was again a unanimous No. 1. Auriemma has the Huskies ranked for the 655th time. UConn was atop all 31 ballots from the national...
Rob Reiner’s son pleads not guilty to murder in the killing of his parents
LOS ANGELES — Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, acclaimed director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. Nick Reiner’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene, entered the plea on his behalf as he stood behind glass in an...
Trial begins for Utah mom accused of killing husband then writing a children’s book about grief
PARK CITY, Utah — A murder trial is underway for a Utah mother of three who published a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death and was later accused of killing him. Kouri Richins, 35, faces a slew of felony charges for allegedly killing her husband, Eric Richins, with...
What to know about the killing of the powerful cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ in Mexico
MEXICO CITY — The Mexican army killed the country’s most powerful cartel leader and one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives, notching a major victory while cartel members responded with a wave of violence across the country. The killing Sunday of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes...
Lindsey Vonn says surgery saved her from having her left leg amputated following Olympic crash
VAIL, Colo. — American skier Lindsey Vonn says she nearly lost her left leg following a frightening crash in the women’s downhill at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Vonn revealed in an Instagram post on Monday that her injuries went far beyond the complex tibia fracture in the leg she initially...
Women suffer heart attacks too. Understanding risks, symptoms and how to save yourself
Lori Sepich smoked for years and sometimes skipped taking her blood pressure medicine. But she never thought she’d have a heart attack. The possibility “just wasn’t registering with me,” said the 64-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, who suffered two of them 13 years apart. She’s far from alone. More than 60...
NHL’s return to the Olympics lives up to the hype, sets stage for 2028 World Cup of Hockey
MILAN — The long wait for the best hockey players in the world taking the ice in an international tournament lived up to the hype. Four of the seven games in the knockout round at the Milan Cortina Olympics went to overtime, including the U.S beating Canada in a fast-paced,...
Judge blocks release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on Trump classified documents case
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday permanently barred the release of a report by special counsel Jack Smith on his investigation into President Donald Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, granted a request...
After Supreme Court rebuke, Democrats call for government to refund billions in Trump tariff money
WASHINGTON — A trio of Senate Democrats is calling for the government to start refunding roughly $175 billion in tariff revenues that the Supreme Court ruled were collected because of an illegal set of orders by President Donald Trump. Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeanne...
State Department orders nonessential U.S. diplomats to leave Lebanon as tensions with Iran soar
WASHINGTON — The United States has ordered nonessential diplomats and their family members to leave Lebanon, a State Department official said Monday, as tensions over Iran rise with the threat of a potentially imminent military strike. The official said a continuous assessment of the regional security environment determined it was...
Israeli settlers torch and deface a West Bank mosque during Ramadan
TELL, West Bank — Israeli settlers vandalized a mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Monday, spray-painting offensive phrases and setting a fire, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs. Worshippers arriving for the day’s first prayers found the damage and a smoldering fire that spewed black smoke...
How refill stores are changing the way we reduce waste
Refilling a bottle instead of throwing it away has become a popular way for people to reduce waste — a small, tangible action in response to larger environmental problems. But whether refilling actually makes a difference depends on how these systems are used and what they replace. Scores of refill...
6 planets will parade across the night sky at the end of February
NEW YORK — Six planets are linking up in the sky at the end of February, and most will be visible to the naked eye. It’s what’s known as a planetary parade, which happens when multiple planets appear to line up in the sky at once. The planets aren’t in...
Mexico fears more violence after army kills leader of powerful Jalisco cartel
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Several Mexican states canceled school on Monday, with local and foreign governments warning their citizens to stay inside after widespread violence erupted following the army’s killing of the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho” was the boss...
How Trump will use his State of the Union address to sell skeptical midterm voters on his plans
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday is likely to be a test run of the message Republicans will give to voters in November’s elections for control of the House and the Senate. The president and his party appear vulnerable, with polls showing much of...
