Associated Press stories, Page 527
Post-pandemic Paris Olympics signal a return to normal for athletes and fans
Any athlete with Olympic dreams knows the feeling of lungs burning, arms and legs turning to jelly, as they near the closing moments of another grueling race or excruciatingly close match. For that last shot of adrenaline, they often tap into the energy provided by the roaring crowd. At the...
LeBron James agrees to a 2-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, AP source says
LeBron James is making it official: He’s coming back for a record-tying 22nd season in the NBA, one where the league’s all-time scoring leader could share the floor with his son Bronny as teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers. James has agreed to a two-year contract to remain with the...
Southwest Air adopts ‘poison pill’ as activist investor Elliott takes significant stake in company
Southwest Airlines has adopted a ‘poison pill’ following activist investor Elliott Investment Management taking a significant stake in the company. The airline said Wednesday that the shareholder rights plan is effective immediately and expires in a year. Southwest shareholders would need to give prior approval for an extension. Shareholder rights...
Anti-settlement group says Israel has made largest West Bank land seizure in 3 decades
JERUSALEM — Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades, an anti-settlement watchdog group said Wednesday, a move that could further worsen already soaring tensions linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. Peace Now said authorities recently approved the appropriation of...
Sierra Leone outlaws child marriage, and even witnesses to such weddings will be punished
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — A bill that bans child marriage in Sierra Leone has been signed into law, President Julius Maada Bio said late Tuesday, in an effort to protect girls in the West African nation where about a third are married before adulthood. The law is being celebrated widely....
Mosaics by an artist accused of abusing women will stay on the Lourdes shrine, for now
ROME — A French bishop has put off any decision on whether to remove mosaics by an ex-Jesuit artist accused of abusing women, saying that they’ll stay for now on the Lourdes shrine but that eventually they should be removed. The mosaics will no longer be lit up each night...
Taliban and U.S. envoys have discussed the release of 2 American prisoners at third Doha meeting
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban’s delegation to the third United Nations-led Doha meeting on increasing engagement with Afghanistan met with U.S. envoys on the sidelines and discussed the two Americans imprisoned in the central Asian country. Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in Kabul Wednesday that the meeting aimed at “finding a solution.”...
1 man hurt when home in rural Wisconsin explodes, authorities say
LAFAYETTE, Wis. — A house in southeastern Wisconsin exploded Tuesday, injuring one man who was found trapped in rubble in the basement, authorities said. Calls to 911 reported the explosion about 2:15 p.m. in Lafayette, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies arrived about 15 minutes later and saw that...
Somerset County soldier 1 of 2 Civil War heroes set to posthumously receive medal-of-honor at White HouseVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will award the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry on Wednesday to two Union soldiers who stole a locomotive deep in Confederate territory during the Civil War and drove it north for 87 miles as they destroyed railroad tracks and telegraph lines. U.S. Army Pvts....
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese headline WNBA All-Star team that will face US Olympic squadVideo
NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will team up on the WNBA All-Star team to play against the U.S. Olympic team led by A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. The pair of remarkable rookies were selected Tuesday by a combination of votes from the media, players and fans as...
Billy Harris’ journey goes from van life to Wimbledon
LONDON — For tennis player Billy Harris, it’s all about the journey. Harris lost in his Wimbledon debut Tuesday, but he’s won over some fans at the same time. That’ll happen when your backstory involves leaving home on the Isle of Man to live out of a van while playing...
New-vehicle sales barely rose in the 2nd quarter as buyers balked at still-high prices
DETROIT — U.S. new-vehicle sales rose only slightly in the second quarter, despite larger discounts and slightly lower prices. But brisker sales could be on the horizon: Auto industry analysts say they expect prices to drop further and there’s a possibility of interest-rate cuts that would make taking out a...
Utah State informs football coach Blake Anderson he will be fired for cause after Title IX review
LOGAN, Utah — Utah State informed football coach Blake Anderson on Tuesday that he will be fired for cause after an external review of allegations that he hadn’t complied with Title IX policies regarding the reporting of sexual misconduct cases. Nate Dreiling, who had been Utah State’s defensive coordinator and...
NFL suspends safety Tashaun Gipson 6 games for PEDs
Veteran safety Tashaun Gipson has been suspended by the NFL for the first six games of the 2024 season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. The NFL announced Gipson’s suspension Tuesday. Gipson, who turns 34 on Aug. 7, is a free agent and remains eligible to sign with a...
Olympic men’s soccer offers underdogs hope for medals in Paris
Sure, it was fun to dream about a Paris Olympics in which Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé renew their rivalries after that epic World Cup final. But men’s Olympic soccer is more about emerging players than established stars. It’s good for a few surprises, too. Past winners include Mexico, Nigeria...
After whirlwind stretch, Dan Bylsma settles into first few days as Kraken head coachVideo
SEATTLE — At some point, Dan Bylsma will get a semblance of an offseason and a little downtime. Right now, it seems like nonstop chaos for the new coach of the Seattle Kraken. “It’s good to get here and kind of get focused on just the Kraken,” Bylsma said. “The...
Hezly Rivera serves as ‘underdog’ on heavily favored U.S. Olympic gymnastics team
MINNEAPOLIS — Hezly Rivera planned to spend a significant portion of this summer learning how to drive. The 16-year-old is going to have to postpone that learner’s permit test for a bit. She’s joining Simone Biles on the U.S. gymnastics team at the Olympics instead. Heady territory for a self-proclaimed...
States with no income tax have NHL free agency advantage
When the Tampa Bay Lightning made moves at the NHL Draft to clear salary cap space, general manager Julien BriseBois hoped a variety of factors would entice players to sign as free agents. One, of course, was the organization’s penchant for winning and the talent already on the roster. Another,...
Virginia certifies John McGuire as primary winner over Rep. Bob Good, who says he’ll seek a recount
RICHMOND — The Virginia State Board of Elections on Tuesday certified the apparent narrow defeat of Republican Rep. Bob Good, one of America’s most conservative congressmen, to a challenger endorsed by former President Donald Trump in the state’s primaries on June 18. The board’s unanimous vote to certify the results...
Donovan Mitchell agrees to a 3-year, $150.3M contract extension with the Cavaliers, AP source says
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell isn’t taking his talents anywhere. Not yet, anyway. The five-time All-Star guard has agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press on Tuesday. Mitchell’s choice to commit to the Cavaliers had been...
Bronny James says he can handle ‘amplified’ pressure of playing for Lakers with his famous fatherVideo
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Bronny James said the opportunity to play professionally alongside his famous father played no role in his decision to enter the NBA Draft. Now that the 19-year-old son of LeBron James has been selected by the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny said he can handle all the...
Arkansas grocery store reopens in wake of mass shooting that left 4 dead
FORDYCE, Ark. — The sounds that filled the Mad Butcher grocery store on Tuesday — the beeping barcode scanners, the rattle of shopping carts and cash register drawers opening — were familiar ones for customers and employees of the only grocery store in the small Arkansas town of Fordyce. But...
Cleveland officer who killed Tamir Rice leaves new job in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The former Cleveland officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 has resigned from a police force in West Virginia, the third time in six years he left a small department amid backlash shortly after he had been hired. White Sulphur Springs City officials said Timothy...
Ann Wilson announces cancer diagnosis, postpones Heart tourVideo
LOS ANGELES — Ann Wilson, lead singer of rock band Heart, says she has cancer and the band is postponing the remaining shows on its Royal Flush Tour while she undergoes treatment. Wilson said in a statement Tuesday that she underwent a surgery to remove a cancerous growth and is...
Oklahoma St RB Ollie Gordon II, who won Doak Walker Award last season, arrested for suspicion of DUI
Oklahoma State running back and Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II was arrested Sunday morning for suspicion of driving under the influence, police said. A state trooper in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, reported seeing Gordon swerving in his black 2024 Cadillac. The vehicle was clocked at 82 miles per hour...
