Associated Press stories, Page 527

PANAMA CITY — Panama is on the verge of a dramatic change to its immigration policy that could reverberate from the dense Darien jungle to the U.S. border. President-elect José Raúl Mulino says he will shut down a migration route used by more than 500,000 people last year. Until now,...

VOVCHANSK, Ukraine — Moscow’s forces have captured five villages as part of a renewed ground assault in Ukraine’s northeast, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday. Ukrainian journalists reported Friday that Russian troops took the villages of Borysivka, Ohirtseve, Pylna and Strilecha, all of which lie in a militarily contested “gray...

ISLAMABAD — Flash floods from unusually heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan have killed more than 300 people and destroyed more than 1,000 houses, the U.N. food agency said Saturday. The World Food Program said it was distributing fortified biscuits to the survivors of one of the many floods that hit...

MIAMI — As a sparse crowd headed into loanDepot Park to watch the Miami Marlins face the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday evening, a handful of disgruntled Miami fans remained on the outskirts of the ballpark, yelling passionately in hopes their message would be heard. The small demonstration of no more...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and potentially disrupt power and communications. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner...

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — A New York judge on Friday struck down a Long Island county’s order banning female transgender athletes after a local women’s roller derby league challenged it. Judge Francis Ricigliano ruled Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman didn’t have the authority to issue his February executive order, which...

BALTIMORE — New Orioles owner David Rubenstein turned out to be quite a rally starter at Camden Yards. Rubenstein made a guest appearance Friday night in the “Splash Zone” in left field, where fans are sprayed with a hose in celebration after big plays. Rubenstein was put in charge of...

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge in Texas temporarily halted a plan by the Biden administration to lower late fees on credit cards to $8 that was slated to go into effect next week. The temporary nationwide injunction imposed by Judge Mark Pittman in the Northern District of Texas is...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A statue of the late Rev. Billy Graham set to stand inside the U.S. Capitol to represent North Carolina will be unveiled next week in a ceremony. House Speaker Mike Johnson, other congressional members and the family of the Charlotte-born evangelist are expected to attend unveiling of...

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix Jr. insists he’ll have no difficulty adjusting to his role as the backup to new Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. Before taking the field Friday for rookie minicamp, Penix was greeted by Cousins at the team’s practice facility. Others have speculated there could...

NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani was suspended Friday from WABC Radio and his daily show was canceled over what the station called his repeated violation of a ban on discussing discredited 2020 election claims. Giuliani said the station’s ban is overly broad and “a clear violation of free speech.” Giuliani...

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Caleb Williams is the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback. Just in case there was a shred of doubt the No. 1 overall draft pick is the team’s No. 1 QB, coach Matt Eberflus erased it on Friday. “No conversation. He’s the starter,” he said. Eberflus’ comment was...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers’ experiment of bringing in a defensive coordinator from the outside didn’t work out, with the team firing Steve Wilks after just one season. Now they’re counting on the internal promotion of Nick Sorensen into that role — with a dose of outside...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bidders will fight with their dollars next week at an Ohio auction house for the sword of the Civil War Union general who led a scorched-earth campaign across Georgia and coined the phrase, “War is hell.” General William Tecumseh Sherman’s wartime sword, likely used between 1861 and...

WICHITA, Kan. — A 45-year-old man has pleaded guilty in the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue that was cut off at the ankles and found days later smoldering in a trash can in a city park in Kansas. Ricky Alderete entered the plea during his arraignment Thursday. A...

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter are among the six players displayed on the cover of EA Sports College Football 25, which is set to return after being discontinued 11 years ago. The cover for the deluxe edition of the popular...

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration plans to impose major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the plan. Tariffs on electric vehicles, in particular, could quadruple — from 25% to 100%. The plan...

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Friday that Israel’s use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law, but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes. The administration’s finding of “reasonable” evidence to conclude its ally breached international law in its conduct...

WASHINGTON — The U.S. announced a new $400 million package of military aid for Ukraine on Friday, as Kyiv struggles to hold off advances by Russian troops in the northeast Kharkiv region. This is the third tranche of aid for Ukraine since Congress passed supplemental funding in late April after...

Missouri State will move up to the highest tier of Division I college football and join Conference USA in 2025, the league announced Friday. Missouri State will become the 12th full member of CUSA and the third school to move up from the Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision and...

NEW YORK — In the wake of salacious testimony from porn actor Stormy Daniels, prosecutors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial narrowed their focus to checks and phone records Friday as they laid the groundwork for jurors to hear from their star witness: Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney. With the...

NEW YORK — Target confirmed Friday that it won’t carry Pride Month merchandise at all stories this spring after the discount retailer experienced backlash and lower sales over its collection honoring LGBTQ+ communities. Target, which operates roughly 2,000 stores, said decisions about where to stock Pride-themed products, including adult apparel,...

WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer sentiment fell sharply in May to the lowest level in six months as Americans cited stubbornly high inflation and interest rates, as well as fears that unemployment could rise. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, released Friday in a preliminary version, dropped to 67.4 this...

WASHINGTON — The winner of November’s presidential election will face an epic challenge next year with the coming expiration of nearly $4 trillion in tax cuts — an issue that the Biden White House is highlighting in the runup to November. Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic...