Associated Press stories, Page 542
Economic growth increased last quarter to a healthy 2.8% annual rateVideo
WASHINGTON — The nation’s economy accelerated last quarter at a strong 2.8% annual pace, with consumers and businesses helping drive growth despite the pressure of continually high interest rates. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services —...
At Paris Olympics, anti-doping leaders accept that some cheating is inevitableVideo
PARIS — The days are over when Olympic organizers and anti-doping officials would typically predict “the cleanest Games ever.” Not at the Paris Olympics. “It’s not our role to do it,” World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka said Thursday. “It’s not that now we want to assure that every single...
Gabrielle Giffords stumps for Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania as campaign for running mate takes shape
PHILADELPHIA — Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman who was grievously wounded in a 2011 shooting in her Arizona district, took to the campaign trail Thursday for Vice President Kamala Harris, as Harris’ nascent presidential campaign gets off the ground and a parallel campaign to be Harris’ running mate takes...
House Republicans vote to rebuke Kamala Harris over administration’s handling of border policy
WASHINGTON — House Republicans are moving quickly to emphasize Vice President Kamala Harris’s role in the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. border with Mexico, passing a resolution Thursday that condemns her performance in the job. The resolution, which is purely symbolic, echoes an attack line that Republican Donald Trump...
Scherzer passes Verlander for 10th on career strikeout list at 3,394, most among active pitchersVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer moved into 10th place on the career strikeout list — and the most among active pitchers — when the Texas Rangers right-hander recorded his 3,394th on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox. Scherzer passed fellow three-time Cy Young winner Justin...
Flyers sign All-Star Travis Konecny to an 8-year extension worth $70 millionVideo
The Philadelphia Flyers signed All-Star Travis Konecny to an eight-year extension worth $70 million, committing to him being a long-term part of their core as they seek to shift from rebuilding mode to contending. The deal announced Thursday keeps Konecny under contract through 2033. He will count $8.75 million against...
Dylan Cease throws 2nd no-hitter in San Diego Padres historyVideo
WASHINGTON — Dylan Cease pitched the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history, a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday that completed a three-game sweep. After falling one out short of a no-hitter two years ago when he gave up a single to current teammate Luis Arráez, Cease...
Chicken wings advertised as ‘boneless’ can have bones, Ohio Supreme Court decides
Consumers cannot expect boneless chicken wings to actually be free of bones, a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday, rejecting claims by a restaurant patron who suffered serious medical complications from getting a bone stuck in his throat. Michael Berkheimer was dining with his wife and friends at a wing...
Kamala Harris is using Beyoncé’s ‘Freedom’ as her campaign song: What to know about the anthem
NEW YORK — In Vice President Kamala Harris’ first 2024 presidential campaign video, a familiar rhythm rings out. The clip, which touches on issues of gun violence, health care and abortion, is soundtracked by Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” a cut from her 2016 landmark album, “Lemonade.” “We choose freedom,” Harris says in...
Spicy dispute over the origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos winds up in court
A court case could soon settle a spicy dispute: Who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? A former PepsiCo executive is suing the company, saying it destroyed his career after questioning his claim that he invented the popular flavor of Cheetos snacks. PepsiCo said Thursday it has no comment on the lawsuit,...
The Olympics are coming to the capital of fashion. Expect uniforms befitting a Paris runway
PARIS — Sure, they call it the City of Light. But Paris is also the City of Fashion, one of most influential fashion capitals of the world for decades, no, centuries (remember Louis XIV?) So it’s no surprise that fashion designers across the globe are busy getting their national team...
U.S. viewers’ Olympics interest is down, poll finds, except for Simone Biles
PARIS—Following low ratings for the coronavirus pandemic-marred Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, Paris may not do much better among U.S. viewers, a new Gallup poll released Thursday found. Simone Biles and women’s gymnastics are poised to be a bright spot, with those surveyed selecting it as their most anticipated sport. But...
Workers go on strike at 5-star Paris hotel where IOC members are staying for Olympics
Workers went on strike Thursday at the five-star hotel in Paris where members of the International Olympic Committee are staying, walking out just a day before the opening ceremony of the Games. According to the major French union CGT, the IOC paid the hotel where staffers were striking, Hôtel du...
Harris tells Netanyahu ‘it is time’ to end the war in Gaza and bring the hostages home
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said she urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire deal soon with Hamas so that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza since Oct. 7 can return home. Harris said she had a “frank and constructive” conversation...
FCC pursues new rules for AI in political ads, but changes may not take effect before the election
NEW YORK — The Federal Communications Commission has advanced a proposal that would require political advertisers to disclose their use of artificial intelligence in broadcast television and radio ads, though it is unclear whether new regulations may be in place before the November presidential election. The proposed rules announced Thursday...
Data shows hurricanes and earthquakes grab headlines but inland counties top disaster list
Floyd County keeps flooding and the federal government keeps coming to the rescue. In July 2022, at least 40 people died and 300 homes were damaged in flooding across eastern Kentucky. It was the 13th time in 12 years that Floyd County was declared a federal disaster. These are disasters...
Newsom issues executive order for removal of homeless encampments in California
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies Thursday to start removing homeless encampments on state land in his boldest action yet following a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces. This executive order directs state agencies “to move urgently to address...
A woman is killed and a man is injured when their upstate New York house explodes
LINCOLN, N.Y. — A woman was killed and a man was injured when their upstate New York house exploded, authorities said. The house exploded just after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the town of Lincoln in Madison County. Crews from several police and fire departments arrived at the scene and...
Average rate on a 30-year mortgage inches up to 6.78%, first uptick in 3 weeks
LOS ANGELES — Mortgage rates inched higher this week, keeping the average rate on a 30-year mortgage essentially flat and near the 7% range it’s been in most of this year. The rate rose to 6.78% from 6.77% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the...
NASA says chances are growing that astronauts may switch from Boeing to a SpaceX ride back to EarthVideo
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — What should have been a quick trip to the International Space Station may turn into an eight-month stay for two NASA astronauts if they have to switch from Boeing to SpaceX for a ride home. There’s lingering uncertainty over the safety of Boeing’s new Starliner capsule,...
Uvalde, Texas, school officer pleads not guilty to charges of failing to protect kids during 2022attack
UVALDE, Texas — A former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer who was part of the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Thursday. Adrian Gonzales was one of the nearly 400 law enforcement personnel who responded to...
Big Ten media days provide formal welcome to USC, UCLA and other former Pac-12 schools
INDIANAPOLIS — Southern California coach Lincoln Riley strolled across the Lucas Oil Stadium stage for the first time Wednesday, greeted by a familiar tune — “Fight On.” He was nowhere near the only newcomer to this week’s Big Ten Media Days. Riley’s remarks were preceded by those of first-year UCLA...
Boston College’s Bill O’Brien, Duke’s Manny Diaz make quick push to connect with players after taking new jobs
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bill O’Brien arrived at Boston College with a high-profile resume that included a stint as an NFL head coach, as well as work with some of college football’s biggest brand names in Penn State and Alabama. Manny Diaz was in similar position as the former Miami head...
Kirk Ferentz still committed to Iowa after watching friends Bill Belichick, Nick Saban move on
INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz watched two of his best coaching friends, Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, leave football after last season. So, naturally, college football’s longest-tenured coach smiles and nods as he reflects on his own potential exit. “All of us have to do that,” the 68-year-old Ferentz...
With big goals and gambles, Paris aims to reset the Olympics with audacious Games and a wow opening
PARIS — Paris long has been a city of dreamers: Just look at the Eiffel Tower, for decades the world’s loftiest structure. Audacity also underpins the French capital’s plans for its first Olympic Games in a century, which open Friday with an opening ceremony for the ages. The most sprawling...
