Associated Press stories, Page 328
Shapiro’s budget is expected to seek more for schools and transit, emphasize frugality
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will deliver his third budget proposal to lawmakers next week, a plan that’s expected to seek substantially more aid for the poorest public schools, emphasize frugality and press the politically fraught topics of bailing out public transit and legalizing marijuana. The plan to be...
Black History Month explained: Its origins, celebrations and myths
WASHINGTON — Beginning Feb. 1, schools, museums and communities across the nation will mark the start of Black History Month —- a celebration of Black history, culture and education. The history of the month dates back almost a century, and the way it is celebrated and evolved has created history...
RFK Jr. kept asking to see the science that vaccines were safe. After he saw it, he dismissed it
WASHINGTON — The man who hopes to be President Donald Trump’s health secretary repeatedly asked to see “data” or “science” showing vaccines are safe — but when an influential Republican senator did so, he dismissed it. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent two days this week insisting to senators that he’s...
U.S. inflation ticked higher last month, in latest sign of persistent price pressures
WASHINGTON — An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve rose slightly last month, the latest sign that some consumer prices remain stubbornly elevated, even as inflation is cooling in fits and starts. Friday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that consumer prices rose 2.6% in December from a...
From avocados to autos, Trump tariffs on Canada and Mexico could hit close to home
WASHINGTON — The 25% tax that President Donald Trump plans to slap on imports from Canada and Mexico as soon as Saturday could drive up the price of everything from gasoline and pickup trucks to Super Bowl party guacamole dip. The tariffs would also invite retaliation. Doug Ford, the premier...
Boats return to the Potomac River for D.C. plane crash recovery and investigation
ARLINGTON, Va. — Police boats combed the banks of the Potomac River on Friday, moving slowly under rainy skies and scanning the shoreline as investigators sought clues into the midair collision that killed 67 people and raised questions about air traffic safety around the nation’s capital. No one survived the...
FireAid combines music’s biggest acts and stories of loss to raise money for L.A. wildfire relief
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Pop stars, first responders, rock stars and those who’ve lost everything in the devastating LA-area wildfires came together for FireAid, a massive benefit concert Thursday that combined spectacular performances with moving storytelling from survivors and reminders of the destruction. In a night full of surprises, a reunion...
Officials search river where a passenger jet and Army chopper crashed, and probe the cause
American Airlines Flight 5342 with 60 passengers and four crew hit an Army helicopter near Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Wednesday night, sending the two aircraft into the Potomac River and killing all aboard in the deadliest U.S. air crash in more than two decades. The crash around 9 p.m. threw...
White House says Trump tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will come Saturday. No word on exemptions
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will put in place 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% tariffs on goods from China effective on Saturday, the White House said, but it provided no word on whether there would be any exemptions to the measures that could result in...
A New Zealand mountain is granted personhood, recognizing it as sacred for Māori
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A mountain in New Zealand considered an ancestor by Indigenous people was recognized as a legal person on Thursday after a new law granted it all the rights and responsibilities of a human being. Mount Taranaki — now known as Taranaki Maunga, its Māori name —...
Conspiracies, espionage, an enemies list: Takeaways from a wild day of confirmation hearings
WASHINGTON — Conspiracy theories about vaccines. Secret meetings with dictators. An enemies list. President Donald Trump’ s most controversial Cabinet nominees — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel — flooded the zone Thursday in back-to-back-to-back confirmation hearings that were like nothing the Senate has seen in modern...
Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry come up aces, Scheffler back with a 67 and Henley takes Pebble Beach lead
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry decorated stunning views Thursday with a hole-in-one for each on different courses. Russell Henley birdied his last two holes for an 8-under 64 and the lead. And there was Scottie Scheffler, looking very much like he was never away. Scheffler, out...
Dick Button, Olympic great and voice of skating, dies at 95
NEW YORK — Dick Button was more than the most accomplished men’s figure skater in history. He was one of his sport’s great innovators and promoters, the man responsible not only for inventing the flying camel spin but describing it to generations of fans. He was an athlete and actor,...
Jared Goff nearly perfect to open Pro Bowl Games for NFC
ORLANDO, Fla. — Detroit quarterback Jared Goff delivered a near-perfect performance in “passing the test” and helped the NFC take a 14-7 lead over the AFC during the opening night of the Pro Bowl Games on Thursday. Goff, after getting some help from Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs via...
John Mobley Jr., Bruce Thornton lead Ohio State to 83-64 victory over Penn StateVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Freshman John Mobley Jr. had 19 points, Bruce Thornton scored 17 and Ohio State cruised to an 83-64 victory over Penn State at Rec Hall on Thursday night. Mobley hit three 3-pointers and added eight assists and six rebounds for the Buckeyes (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten), who...
Victor Wembanyama is an All-Star, 1 of 6 1st-time selectionsVideo
NBA coaches are, obviously, convinced: Victor Wembanyama is one of the league’s best players. The San Antonio star and 2023-24 rookie of the year is an All-Star for the first time, one of the 14 players announced Thursday night as members of the reserve pool for the Feb. 16 event...
Bills coach Sean McDermott upbeat despite falling short of Super Bowl berth yet againVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Difficult as it was for Sean McDermott to wrap up yet another Bills season ending short of a Super Bowl berth, there was nothing Thursday dissuading Buffalo’s coach from believing more opportunities lay ahead. Having an elite quarterback in Josh Allen helps. So does knowing the...
Civil rights activists call for a Target boycott after retailer backs away from diversity programs
MINNEAPOLIS — Civil rights activists gathered outside the headquarters of Target Corp. on Thursday to call for a national boycott of the retailing giant over its decision to phase out its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Target announced last Friday that it would join competitor Walmart and a number of...
FDA approves painkiller designed to eliminate the risk of addiction associated with opioids
WASHINGTON — Federal officials on Thursday approved a new type of pain pill designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioid medications like Vicodin and OxyContin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Journavx for short-term pain that often follows surgery or...
Eagles are new America’s Team in Super Bowl vs. Chiefs
Move over, Dallas Cowboys. There’s a new and unlikely America’s Team in the NFL — at least for the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles have become the popular choice among many football fans who want to see the Kansas City Chiefs lose for various reasons. Despite a fan base known...
NFL had fewest concussions since league began tracking 9 years ago
NFL players suffered the fewest concussions in a season in 2024 since the league began tracking data nine years ago. The total decline from 2023 was 17%, including all practices and games in the preseason and regular season. League executive Jeff Miller and NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills...
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick to oversee U.S. spy agencies, grilled about Snowden, Syria and Russia
WASHINGTON — Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s pick to be director of national intelligence, faced sharp criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike Thursday during a fiery confirmation hearing focused on her past comments sympathetic to Russia, a meeting with Syria’s now-deposed leader and her past support for government leaker Edward...
NASCAR champ Joey Logano tunes out critics, insists playoff format is ‘very entertaining’
Joey Logano has found a way to tune out months of negativity. Critics? Naysayers? Anyone who thinks his third Cup Series championship was a fluke? “I can’t hear it because my trophies, they kind of, like, echo around me,” Logano quipped during a Zoom call with media Wednesday. Logano won...
Utah Hockey Club narrows the choice of a name to 3 finalists. It won’t be the Yeti or WasatchVideo
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Hockey Club has chosen three finalists for the permanent team name it will adopt beginning with the 2025-26 NHL season. The franchise will use a final round of fan voting to decide among the Utah Mammoth, Utah Hockey Club and, now, Utah Outlaws. The...
Max Scherzer agrees to a $15.5 million, 1-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, AP source saysVideo
Max Scherzer is joining the Toronto Blue Jays, agreeing to a $15.5 million, one-year contract Thursday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was pending a physical. The 40-year-old...
