Associated Press stories, Page 518
Biden’s press conference will be a key test for him. But he’s no master of the big rhetorical moment
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has a fresh opportunity Thursday to try to prove to the American public that he’s capable of serving another four years after his shocking debate flop threw the future of his presidency into doubt. But Biden is not known as a master of the big...
Biden says pressure on him is driven by elites. Voters paint a more complicated picture
SAGINAW, Mich. — Considering her choices in this year’s rapidly approaching presidential election, Rochelle Jones thinks both major party candidates should step aside. “They just need to get somebody that’s going to run this country right, that don’t have any health issues, that care about us people,” the 39-year-old culinary...
Trump wants Black and Latino support. But he’s not popular with either group, poll analysis shows
WASHINGTON — As he prepares to accept the Republican nomination for the third time, Donald Trump has promised new efforts to expand his coalition — and, in particular, to win over more of the nonwhite voters who largely rejected him during the 2020 election. But an AP analysis of two...
South Korea to deploy laser weapons to intercept North Korean drones
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea said Thursday it will begin deploying laser weapons systems designed to intercept North Korean drones, which have caused security concerns in the South in recent years. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said that it will deploy at least one anti-air laser weapons system...
China tells NATO not to create chaos in Asia and rejects label of ‘enabler’ of Russia’s Ukraine war
BEIJING — China accused NATO on Thursday of seeking security at the expense of others and told the alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to Asia, a reflection of its determination to oppose strengthening ties between NATO members and Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines....
‘It’s hell outside’: Sizzling heat wave in parts of southern and central Europe prompts alerts
BELGRADE, Serbia — Weather alerts, forest fires, melting pavement in cities: A sizzling heat wave has sent temperatures in parts of central and southern Europe soaring toward 104 degrees in some places. From Italy to Romania, authorities warned people to be cautious, drive carefully if going on holiday, drink plenty...
Bryce Harper misses game vs. Dodgers with bruised left hand
PHILADELPHIA — First baseman Bryce Harper made a short-lived return to the Philadelphia Phillies’ lineup. The All-Star first baseman sat out Wednesday night against Los Angeles because of a bruised left hand. Harper — who had missed the previous nine games with a strained left hamstring — was hurt at...
Mexico will build passenger train lines to U.S. border in an expansion of its debt-laden rail projects
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s massive, debt-fueled passenger rail building program is not going to end with the administration of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but will instead double, he said Wednesday. López Obrador said his successor, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, is planning to build three passenger train lines running from...
With a late goal fit for a king, England reaches another Euro final by beating NetherlandsVideo
DORTMUND, Germany — England is into another European Championship final after its latest dramatic, come-from-behind win that even took King Charles III on a roller coaster ride. Ollie Watkins, who came on for captain Harry Kane in a bold call by England coach Gareth Southgate, scored in the first minute...
Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles among track athletes looking for 1st gold medalsVideo
There are big races, and then there are the Olympics. When Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles and all the other fastest runners and best jumpers and throwers of 2024 line up for the Olympic track and field meet, little of what they’ve done on the road to Paris will mean much....
Costco raises annual membership fees for the 1st time since 2017, boosting them an additional $5 to $10
ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco bargain hunters are going to have to pay an additional $5 to $10 annually as the popular warehouse chain prepares to raise its membership fees for the first time in seven years. The Issaquah, Washington, company disclosed the forthcoming 8% increase in the fee to gain...
S&P 500 tops 5,600 as Wall Street’s record-breaking rally keeps rollingVideo
NEW YORK — Wall Street’s blistering rally stretched into a seventh day Wednesday and vaulted the U.S. stock market to more all-time highs. The S&P 500 jumped 1% and topped the 5,600 level for the first time. The Nasdaq composite also rallied to a seventh straight gain and added 1.2%...
Simone Biles, LeBron James among athletes expected to bid ‘adieu’ to Olympics in ParisVideo
Icons of their sports. Voices for equality and social justice. Elite performers. Simone Biles and LeBron James lead the list of athletes likely competing at their final Olympics. Add in that Andy Murray will be retiring after the Paris Games and that Rafael Nadal may bid goodbye to tennis, too,...
NBA agrees to terms on record 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal
The NBA has agreed to terms on its new media deal, a record 11-year agreement worth $76 billion that assures player salaries will continue rising for the foreseeable future and one that will surely change how some viewers access the game for years to come. A person familiar with the...
Ukraine is on an ‘irreversible’ path to NATO. But only after war with Russia ends
WASHINGTON — Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to NATO membership, the military alliance said Wednesday in a final agreement from its summit, advancing assurances that Ukraine will be allowed to join the Western coalition but only after its war with Russia ends. In another boost for Ukraine, the U.S.,...
Astronauts confident Boeing space capsule can safely return them to Earth, despite failures
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Two astronauts who should have been back on Earth weeks ago said Wednesday that they’re confident that Boeing’s space capsule can return them safely, despite a string of vexing breakdowns. NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule early last...
Rangers’ Adolis Garcia, Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez complete field for Home Run Derby
NEW YORK — Adolis Garcia will represent the host Texas Rangers in Monday night’s Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez completed the eight-man field. Garcia was knocked out by Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena last year in the first round...
A defiant Biden borrows some tactics from his rival as he tries to put debate debacle behind him
NEW YORK — He’s calling in to his favorite morning cable news show, bashing the “elites” of his party and dismissing unfavorable polls. He’s even talking up his crowd sizes. As an increasingly defiant President Joe Biden rejects calls to step aside after a disastrous debate performance, he’s been embracing...
Congress OKs bill overhauling oversight of troubled federal Bureau of Prisons
The Senate passed legislation Wednesday to overhaul oversight and bring greater transparency to the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons following reporting from the Associated Press that exposed systemic corruption in the federal prison system and increased congressional scrutiny. The Federal Prison Oversight Act, which the House passed in May, now...
26 million tons of clothing end up in China’s landfills each year, propelled by fast fashion
WENZHOU, China — At a factory in Zhejiang province on China’s eastern coast, two mounds of discarded cotton clothing and bed linens, loosely separated into dark and light colors, pile up on a workroom floor. Jacket sleeves, collars and brand labels protrude from the stacks as workers feed the garments into shredding machines....
Prime Time in Big 12: Deion Sanders gives props to coaches
LAS VEGAS — Colorado coach Deion Sanders took some time at the start of his first Big 12 media days appearance Wednesday to salute some of the other coaches in the league. The Pro Football Hall of Fame player, now going into his second season coaching in a power conference,...
Calls for justice grow in death of Black man outside Milwaukee hotel as GOP convention approaches
Calls for justice in the death of a Black man who was pinned to the ground during a struggle with security guards at a Milwaukee hotel are growing as thousands of GOP supporters and protesters are expected to gather in the city for the Republican National Convention. D’Vontaye Mitchell’s death...
Pressure mounts on Houston power company to quickly restore service as city sweats after BerylVideo
HOUSTON — Pressure mounted Wednesday on Houston’s power utility as millions of residents still had no power nearly three days after Hurricane Beryl made landfall, amid questions over how a city that is all too familiar with destructive weather was unable to better withstand a Category 1 storm. With frustration...
Gregg Berhalter fired as U.S. men’s soccer coach after Copa America 1st-round exit
NEW YORK — Gregg Berhalter was fired as U.S. men’s soccer coach on Wednesday after his team’s first-round exit from the Copa America flamed doubts he was the right person to remain in charge for the 2026 World Cup, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The...
Rory McIlroy trying to move on from devastating U.S. Open loss
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Rory McIlroy got back into his own little world a few days too late. The immediate aftermath of a U.S. Open he threw away — missing two putts in the 3-foot range — included a previously planned trip to Manhattan. McIlroy said he walked the High...
