Associated Press stories, Page 549
High school teacher looks to make most of U.S. Open ‘Tin Cup’ moment
PINEHURST, N.C. — Colin Prater feels a little like Kevin Costner’s character in “Tin Cup” this week — a relative unknown who suddenly finds himself thrust onto one of golf’s biggest stages at the U.S. Open. It’s a movie Prater is quite familiar with, which is why he and his...
Pinehurst stands apart as U.S. Open test because of greens
PINEHURST, N.C. — Pebble Beach has the Pacific Ocean. Oakmont is the brute with its church pew bunkers. Pinehurst No. 2 has the cereal bowls turned upside down. The greens at Pinehurst No. 2 are the signature of this Donald Ross course that hosts the 124th U.S. Open starting Thursday....
Pulisic offsets Rodrygo goal as U.S. gains 1-1 tie against Brazil in last Copa America warmupVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Four days after one of their worst matches, Christian Pulisic and the U.S. soccer team stopped an 11-game losing streak to Brazil with a spirted 1-1 draw that left them with a positive mindset heading into the Copa America. Hershey native Pulisic scored in 26th minute to...
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas fails in challenge to rules that bar her from elite women’s races
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas failed in her challenge against rules that stop her from competing in elite women’s races because judges ruled she did not have standing to bring the case. The Court of Arbitration for Sport panel of three judges dismissed Thomas’ request for arbitration with the World Aquatics...
Edmonton, roster chock full of Canadians eager to end Stanley Cup drought
EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid on the ice is an electrifying, must-watch sensation fit for the big screen. Off the ice, he does not think there is much “Hollywood” to him. “Just a Canadian kid,” McDavid said. A Canadian kid who has led the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup...
On edge: Browns star Myles Garrett unsatisfied by personal success, driven to take team to NFL titleVideo
BEREA, Ohio — The chase hasn’t ended for Myles Garrett, only intensified. While the Cleveland Browns’ superstar defensive end feels humbled by the accolades, awards and adulation that keep funneling his way, he doesn’t find any satisfaction on that road. “Never,” Garrett said. “It’ll never be enough.” As he approaches...
Reported birth of rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park fulfills Lakota prophecy
HELENA, Mont. — The birth of a rare white buffalo in Yellowstone National Park fulfills a Lakota prophecy that portends better times, according to members of the American Indian tribe who cautioned it’s also a signal that more must be done to protect the earth and its animals. “The birth...
Kari Lake loses Arizona appeals court challenge of 2022 loss in governor race
PHOENIX — Republican Kari Lake has lost an Arizona appeals court challenge arguing that thousands of Phoenix-area mail ballot signatures were not properly verified when she lost the 2022 governor election to Democrat Katie Hobbs. The state Court of Appeals upheld on Tuesday a judge’s finding last year that Lake...
Louisiana Supreme Court reopens window for lawsuits by adult victims of childhood sex abuse
NEW ORLEANS — Officially reversing a controversial March ruling, Louisiana’s highest court Wednesday gave childhood victims of sexual abuse a renewed opportunity to file damage lawsuits. The state Supreme Court’s 5-2 ruling Wednesday upholds a so-called look-back law that was passed in 2021 and amended in 2022. The law gave...
Young bear spotted relaxing on hammock in Vermont yard
WAITSFIELD, Vt. — Noah and Kristen Dweck have seen a number of black bears around their home in Vermont but this was a first: a bear relaxing on their hammock. Noah Dweck took iPhone video of two young bears in their yard in Waitsfield on Tuesday with one sitting on...
Jersey Shore cops, politicians want to hold parents responsible for kids’ rowdy actions after meleesVideo
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Parents should be held civilly or criminally responsible for the actions of their children that create disturbances or damage in public places, a group of New Jersey police chiefs and Republican lawmakers said Wednesday during a forum held after a second consecutive year of disturbances at...
NBA mock draft: Frenchmen go 1-2, then Sheppard and Castle follow as best of the one-and-donesVideo
The only certainty in the NBA Draft used to be a college freshman at the top of it. From John Wall in 2010 to Paolo Banchero in 2022, 13 straight drafts began with a one-and-done player. That streak ended last year, when San Antonio selected Victor Wembanyama with the No....
House votes to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for withholding Biden audio
WASHINGTON — The House voted Wednesday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio of President Joe Biden’s interview in his classified documents case, Republicans’ latest and strongest rebuke of the Justice Department as partisan conflict over the rule of law animates...
Biden faces first lawsuit over asylum crackdown at border
WASHINGTON — A coalition of immigrant advocacy groups sued the Biden administration Wednesday over President Joe Biden’s recent directive that effectively halts asylum claims at the southern border, saying it differs little from a similar move during the Trump administration that was blocked by the courts. The lawsuit — filed...
Florida’s 2024 hurricane season arrives with a rainy delugeVideo
Dangerous flooding from a tropical disturbance inundated much of southern Florida on Wednesday, blocking roads, floating vehicles and delaying the Florida Panthers on their way to Stanley Cup games in Canada against the Edmonton Oilers. The disorganized storm system was pushing across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico at roughly...
Republicans stick to attacking criminal justice system, echoing Trump, after Hunter Biden conviction
PHOENIX — Republicans are responding to Hunter Biden’s conviction on federal gun charges with some version of, “That’s it?” Loyal to Donald Trump, they largely echoed the former president’s claim that the Justice Department has treated President Joe Biden’s son with kid gloves while zealously prosecuting Trump. Using the attention...
Biden, Zelenskyy will sign security agreement between U.S., Ukraine at G7
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Joe Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a bilateral security agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine on Thursday when they meet on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy, aiming to send a signal to Russia of American resolve in...
Nick Dunlap returns to Pinehurst No. 2 for the U.S. Open a PGA Tour winner, and no longer an amateurVideo
PINEHURST, N.C. — Nick Dunlap walked away from Pinehurst No. 2 less than a year ago with a shiny trophy to show for his work. Very little remains the same as he returns for the U.S. Open. The 20-year-old champion of the North & South Amateur, played over the same...
Blinken says some of Hamas’ proposed changes to a cease-fire plan in Gaza are workable and some not
BEIRUT — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday mediators would keep trying to close an elusive cease-fire deal for Gaza after Hamas proposed changes to a U.S.-backed plan, some of which he said were “workable” and some not. The back-and-forth laid bare frustration over the difficulty of reaching...
AP-NORC poll: About half of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s conviction, but views of him remain stable
NEW YORK — About half of U.S. adults approve of Donald Trump’s recent felony conviction, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey shows some potential vulnerabilities, along with some signs of resilience in his support, as Trump tries to become the first...
Federal Reserve sees some progress on inflation but envisions just 1 rate cut this yearVideo
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve officials said Wednesday that inflation has fallen further toward their target level in recent months but signaled that they expect to cut their benchmark interest rate just once this year. The policymakers’ forecast for one rate cut was down from a previous forecast of three, because...
Dodgers acquire Cavan Biggio from Blue Jays for minor league pitcher Braydon Fisher
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired infielder-outfielder Cavan Biggio from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league pitcher Braydon Fisher on Wednesday. Biggio was designated for assignment last week after batting .200 with four doubles, two home runs and nine RBI in 44 games for the...
3 deputies shot while responding to northern Illinois home, suspect also wounded, official says
DIXON, Ill. — Three sheriff’s deputies were shot Wednesday while responding to a northern Illinois home, and the suspect was also wounded, authorities said. Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said the deputies were responding to a report that someone inside the home in the Lost Lake community near Dixon was...
Senators blast health and law enforcement officials over illegal e-cigarettes used by teensVideo
WASHINGTON — Senators on Wednesday blasted top health and law enforcement officials for not doing more to combat the rise of illegal electronic cigarettes in the U.S., a multibillion-dollar business that has flourished amid haphazard enforcement. Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed frustration and exasperation while questioning...
Federal court dismisses appeal of lawsuit contesting transgender woman in Wyoming sorority
DENVER — A federal court on Wednesday dismissed the appeal of a lawsuit that challenged a transgender woman’s acceptance into a sorority at the University of Wyoming, ruling it had no jurisdiction to hear the case. The lawsuit could not be appealed because a lower court judge in Wyoming left...
