Associated Press stories, Page 353
Prosecutor who investigated Hunter Biden defends probes, denounces president’s remarks in new report
WASHINGTON — The criminal charges against Hunter Biden “were the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics,” the prosecutor who led the probes said in a report that sharply criticized President Joe Biden for having maligned the Justice Department when he pardoned his son. “Other presidents have pardoned family...
Roki Sasaki won’t sign with New York Yankees, Texas Rangers or San Francisco GiantsVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants have been informed Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki won’t be signing with them. Giants general manager Zack Minasian announced during a news conference Monday to introduce Justin Verlander that San Francisco no longer was in contention. Sasaki’s decision...
Country star Carrie Underwood will perform at Trump’s inauguration
NEW YORK — Country music star Carrie Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful” at Donald Trump’s inauguration next week and other performers will include two of the president-elect’s musical favorites, country singer Lee Greenwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio. Underwood, who launched her career on “American Idol,” is to perform...
Auburn rises to No. 1 in AP Top 25 after Tennessee loses, Georgia is ranked for 1st time since 2011
Auburn has climbed to No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s basketball poll for its second stint at the top in program history, while fellow Southeastern Conference program Georgia is in the rankings for the first time in 14 years. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers (15-1) claimed 60 of 62 first-place votes...
Judge clears the way for release of special counsel Smith’s report on Trump’s 2020 election case
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department can publicly release special counsel Jack Smith’s investigative report on President-elect Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case, a federal judge said Monday in the latest ruling in a court dispute over the highly anticipated document days before Trump is set to reclaim the White House....
Mike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones saysVideo
DALLAS — Mike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who are going on three decades since their last Super Bowl title, owner Jerry Jones said in a statement Monday. Jones said the organization and McCarthy mutually agreed to part ways. The team’s search for its next...
Some Israeli soldiers refuse to keep fighting in Gaza
JERUSALEM — Yotam Vilk says the image of Israeli soldiers killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager in the Gaza Strip is seared in his mind. An officer in the armored corps, Vilk said the instructions were to shoot any unauthorized person who entered an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza. He saw...
Supreme Court declines to hear from oil and gas companies trying to block climate change lawsuits
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Monday it won’t hear an appeal from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. The order allows the city of Honolulu’s lawsuit against oil and gas companies...
DeSantis calls special session to implement Trump’s immigration policies
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling state lawmakers into a special session to help carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s promises for a swift crackdown on immigration. Trump is preparing more than 100 executive orders starting Day One of the new White House administration, in what amounts to...
Notre Dame, Ohio State in uncharted territory: They’re playing 16-game seasons for the 1st time
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The year was 1894. Yale put together a football schedule that was daunting: games on Wednesdays and Saturdays, basically every week from late September to late November, 16 contests in all. No major college football team — what we now call the FBS level — had...
Millions have had student loans canceled under Biden — despite the collapse of his forgiveness plan
WASHINGTON — Despite failing to deliver his promise for broad student loan forgiveness, President Joe Biden has now overseen the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million Americans — more than any other president in U.S. history. In a last-minute action on Monday, the Education Department canceled loans...
Living longer can mean more dementia but there are ways to reduce the risk
WASHINGTON — About a million Americans a year are expected to develop dementia by 2060, roughly double today’s toll, researchers reported Monday. That estimate is based on a new study that found a higher lifetime risk than previously thought: After age 55, people have up to a 4 in 10...
Melania Trump says she’s packed and ready for the move back into the White House
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Incoming first lady Melania Trump says she’s packed and ready to move back into the White House, where son Barron will have a bedroom, and she plans to revive her Be Best children’s initiative. Trump also said in a taped interview broadcast Monday on Fox...
Incoming Trump team is questioning civil servants at National Security Council about their loyalty
WASHINGTON — Incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning career civil servants who work on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by President-elect Donald...
Jayden Daniels leads Commanders to 1st playoff win in 19 years, beating Buccaneers
TAMPA, Fla. — New owners. New general manager. New coach. New franchise quarterback. That’s the formula — with an emphasis on the QB — that Washington rode to playoff success after nearly two decades of futility. Jayden Daniels ran for a critical first down to set up Zane Gonzalez’s 37-yard...
Magnitude 6.9 earthquake rattles southwestern Japan as tsunami threat declared over
TOKYO — A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 hit southwestern Japan on Monday, triggering public warnings to stay away from coastal areas because of a tsunami advisory, which was later called off. There were no immediate reports of damage. Residents in some coastal areas were told to...
Stronger wind threatens to spread wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area
LOS ANGELES — A growing force of firefighters battled massive infernos across the Los Angeles area on Monday as more powerful wind moved in and threatened recent progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people. Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink...
Jeff Bezos’ space company calls off debut launch of massive new rocket in final minutes of countdown
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Blue Origin called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early Monday because of technical trouble. The 320-foot New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn with a prototype satellite from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But launch controllers had to...
A tough-on-crime approach is back in U.S. state capitols
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Within minutes of his inauguration Monday, new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to issue a variety of orders targeting crime. The tone-setting move reflects a national trend. After a period of relaxed sentencing laws, a tough-on-crime approach is back in political favor in the U.S....
Biden’s administration proposes new rules on exporting AI chips, provoking an industry pushback
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is proposing a new framework for the exporting of the advanced computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence, an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries. But the framework proposed Monday also raised concerns...
Eagles’ A.J. Brown reads inspirational book on sideline
PHILADELPHIA — A.J. Brown had a novel ideal to pass time on the bench during the Philadelphia Eagles’ wild-card playoff game. The Eagles wide receiver passed on the playbook and checked out an inspirational title — Brown casually flipped through the pages of “Inner Excellence” by Jim Murphy. Brown had...
Coco Gauff starts her Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Sofia KeninVideo
MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff had a little difficulty adjusting to the sun at one end of Rod Laver Arena and dropped an early service game but quickly settled into a rhythm to start her Australian Open a 6-3, 6-3 win Monday over 2020 champion Sofia Kenin. Third-seeded Gauff won...
California man says 2 of his cats died after drinking raw milk recalled for bird flu
A California man whose two cats died after drinking raw milk recalled for bird flu risk says he meant to keep his beloved pets healthy, but his efforts tragically backfired. “It’s horrible when you realize that you’re the one that actually gave them the milk that killed them,” said Joseph...
Nick Taylor wins another playoff with clutch play on the 18th in the Sony OpenVideo
HONOLULU — Canada’s Nick Taylor delivered another theatrical finish Sunday, this time chipping in for eagle on the 18th hole to get into a playoff at the Sony Open and winning with a superb pitch that set up birdie to defeat Nico Echavarria. Taylor never looked like a winner at...
Biden, Netanyahu discuss the latest in the effort to reach an Israel-Hamas war ceasefire
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Sunday about efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Israel-Hamas war, a sign of the intensifying push to reach a deal before Donald Trump’s inauguration next week. Talks mediated over...
