Associated Press stories, Page 49
Judge blocks Trump order to end funding for National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington ruled that President Donald Trump’s executive order to cease funding for...
Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris is free after 6 months in an Oklahoma jail for child sex abuse
OKLAHOMA CITY — The founder of a Texas megachurch who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child in the 1980s was released Tuesday after serving six months in an Oklahoma jail. Robert Preston Morris, 64, was released just after midnight, said Osage County Sheriff’s Capt. Matt Clark. Morris pleaded guilty...
Iran remains a stubborn foe after absorbing massive U.S.-Israeli attacks
BEIRUT — Since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb. 28, the Trump administration claims to have all but “obliterated” the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared last week that “never in recorded history has a nation’s military been so quickly and...
Afghan authorities say 14 more people die as a result of extreme weather and flooding
KABUL, Afghanistan — Extensive flooding in many parts of Afghanistan has killed a further 14 people in the past 24 hours, authorities said Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths over the past five days to 42 with more heavy rain forecast. The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said another...
Trump administration exempts oil and gas drilling in the Gulf from endangered species rules
The Trump administration on Tuesday exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said environmentalists’ lawsuits against the industry threatened to hobble domestic energy supplies as the U.S. wages war against Iran. Critics said the move by the...
Jury can’t reach verdict in corruption trial of 2 ex-FirstEnergy executives in $60M bribery scandal
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jurors said they can’t reach a verdict in the trial of two fired FirstEnergy Corp. executives in a $60 million bribery scheme in Ohio. A jury in Akron said Friday it was at an impasse in the trial of former CEO Chuck Jones and former senior vice...
Women’s Final Four a repeat of last season, headlined by undefeated reigning national champion UConn
The women’s Final Four is on repeat. No. 1 seeds UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina are in the Final Four for the second straight season, just the second time the same teams have reached the sport’s final weekend in consecutive years. Only the matchups and location will be different...
The NFL’s Rooney Rule has long been a topic of conversation, even debate. What does it do?
The NFL’s Rooney Rule has long been a topic of conversation, even debate. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is among the most recent to weigh in. He sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell threatening possible enforcement actions if the league doesn’t suspend the rule, which was established in...
Mullins’ Miracle: How does his shot for UConn measure up to other famous ones in March Madness?
WASHINGTON — A couple of days ago, Braylon Mullins was a UConn freshman whose name carried weight mostly among the true diehards — college basketball junkies and Indiana high school hoops enthusiasts. Now he’s a part of NCAA Tournament lore. That’s what can happen at this time of year. “One...
Super Bowl heading back to Las Vegas in 2029
LAS VEGAS — The Super Bowl will return to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in 2029 for the second time after NFL owners voted Monday in Phoenix to award the nation’s gambling and entertainment capital the big game. Las Vegas getting the Super Bowl back after Kansas City defeated San...
NFL taps Seahawks to be featured on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ for 1st time in team history, AP source says
SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks will appear on the HBO show “Hard Knocks” ahead of the 2026 NFL season, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the Seahawks nor the NFL had formally announced the...
Penn State 2-time NCAA champion Mitchell Mesenbrink wins Hodge Trophy as nation’s top wrestler
NEWTON, Iowa — Two-time NCAA champion Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State has been named winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s top men’s college wrestler. WIN Magazine, which compiles the results, made the announcement Monday. Penn State has had six wrestlers win a total of eight Hodge trophies....
U.S. consumer confidence inches up despite soaring gas prices brought on by war in Iran
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer confidence inched higher in March despite soaring energy prices brought on by the war in Iran. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose modestly to 91.8 in March from 91 in February. The board said that while rising costs due to tariffs...
Job openings slide to 6.9 million in February, another hint of sluggish hiring in America
WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings fell slightly last month to 6.9 million, another sign of sluggishness in the American labor market. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that job vacancies slipped from 7.2 million in January. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS), showed that layoffs rose and the number...
Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for LGBTQ kids
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ kids in Colorado, one of about two dozen states that ban the discredited practice. An 8-1 high court majority sided with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First...
Russian ship carrying oil docks in Cuba, allowed to proceed despite U.S. energy blockade
HAVANA — The Russian vessel Anatoly Kolodkin docked Tuesday at the Cuban port of Matanzas laden with 730,000 barrels of oil, marking the first time in three months that an oil tanker reached the island. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had allowed the shipment to proceed despite its...
JD Vance has a new book about his religious faith, ‘Communion,’ coming out later this spring
Vice President JD Vance has a new book coming out that will explore his religious faith and his conversion to Catholicism as an adult. “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith” comes out June 16, the HarperCollins Publishers imprint Harper told The Associated Press on Tuesday. HarperCollins also released “Hillbilly...
Horror and fear in West Bank as Israel approves hanging Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis
JERUSALEM — Hundreds of protesters took to the streets across the embattled Palestinian territories Tuesday in outrage after Israel’s parliament passed a measure establishing the death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. Palestinians young and old held sit-ins and marches in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the territory...
King Charles III to visit U.S. and Bermuda in late April
LONDON — King Charles III is going ahead with a state visit to the United States next month, despite calls for the ceremonial event to be called off due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the British government for failing to support the war in Iran. Buckingham Palace...
U.S. Marine is detained after TSA finds a live 25 mm explosive round in his checked bag
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A U.S. Marine was detained at a California airport after Transportation Security Administration personnel found a live 25 mm explosive round in his checked baggage, police said. The round was found during the screening process of checked luggage at Palm Springs International Airport on Monday, the...
Trump says nations upset by high fuel prices should ‘go get your own oil’ amid strait closure
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. strikes hit a city Tuesday that is home to one of Iran’s main nuclear sites, sending a massive fireball into the sky, and Tehran attacked a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. The attacks were testament to the intensity of the...
Gas prices eclipse $4 a gallon in the U.S., the highest since 2022
NEW YORK — U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday as the Iran war pushed fuel prices to soar worldwide. According to motor club AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.02 —...
Lawyers for man accused of killing Charlie Kirk ask to delay preliminary hearing
PROVO, Utah — Lawyers for the man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk have asked to delay a preliminary hearing scheduled in May, saying they need time to review an enormous amount of material and a bullet analysis that could contribute to his defense. Tyler Robinson’s defense team said...
Airport cleared to be renamed for Trump as he unveils design for skyscraper library
WASHINGTON — A Florida airport was cleared to be renamed after President Donald Trump on Monday, hours before the president separately revealed plans for a Miami skyscraper planned to house his presidential library. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill allowing Palm Beach International Airport to be renamed the President...
Eyes of Texas on women’s Final Four again after Longhorns beat Michigan in regional final
FORT WORTH, Texas — Madison Booker had 19 points and seven rebounds, fifth-year senior guard Rori Harmon had 13 assists and Texas is going to the women’s Final Four for the second year in a row after a 77-41 rout over Michigan in the Fort Worth Regional 3 championship game...
