Associated Press stories, Page 57
Democrats, White House strike spending deal that would avert government shutdown
WASHINGTON — Democrats and White House have struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security as they negotiate new restrictions for President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement. As the country reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands...
German leader hails Europe as an ‘alternative to imperialism and autocracy’
BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hailed the European Union on Thursday as an “alternative to imperialism and autocracy” that can forge deals with like-minded partners in a world of increasing great power rivalry. Merz underlined the continuing value of a NATO in which Europe will intensify its defense efforts,...
Former Illinois deputy sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing Sonya Massey
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, a Black woman who had dialed 911 to report a possible prowler outside her Springfield home. Sean Grayson, who is white, was convicted in October of second-degree murder in...
Justice Department charges man who squirted vinegar on Rep. Ilhan Omar
MINNEAPOLIS — The Justice Department has charged a man who squirted apple cider vinegar on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at an event in Minneapolis, according to court papers made public Thursday. The man arrested for Tuesday’s attack, Anthony Kazmierczak, faces a charge of forcibly assaulting, opposing, impeding and intimidating...
A pre-Olympic treat for the U.S. women’s bobsled and skeleton teams, including Hempfield grad Jasmine Jones
The U.S. Olympic women’s bobsled and skeleton racers spent this week going through their final preparations in advance of arrivals this weekend at the Milan Cortina Games. They were running, lifting weights, strategizing, whatever they could to get ready. They also worked on their hair. Well, technically, they didn’t do...
How are the inductees selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Bill Belichick’s reported snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning a record six Super Bowl titles as a head coach has placed new scrutiny on the process of picking pro football Hall of Famers. While the specific reasons that Belichick didn’t get into the Hall in his...
U.S. stocks drift as gold’s price keeps ripping higher
NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market is drifting around its record heights Thursday following mixed profit reports from Microsoft and some other of Wall Street’s most influential companies. The action was strongest again in the gold market, where the metal’s price keeps ripping higher in its astounding run. The...
11 dead in South Africa minibus and truck collision days after similar crash killed 14 children
JOHANNESBURG — A collision involving a minibus taxi and a truck killed at least 11 people in South Africa on Thursday, a local government official and emergency services said, just over a week after a similar road crash left 14 schoolchildren dead. Thursday’s crash happened near the city of Durban...
Heavy rain in Afghanistan collapses a house, killing a mother and her 6 children
KABUL, Afghanistan — A mother and her six children have been killed in eastern Afghanistan after heavy rain caused their home to collapse while they were sleeping at night, authorities said Thursday — the latest of dozens of casualties caused by extreme weather in the impoverished country in recent days....
Trump’s border czar suggests a possible drawdown in Minnesota, but only after ‘cooperation’
MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration could reduce the number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota, but only if state and local officials cooperate, the president’s border czar said Thursday, noting he has “zero tolerance” for protesters who assault federal officers or impede the ongoing operation in the Twin Cities. Tom...
Trump facing growing cultural revolt against immigration crackdown
NEW YORK — No longer confined to the partisans and activists, the fierce backlash against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has begun to break out across American culture, spanning the worlds of business, sports and entertainment. Bruce Springsteen released a new song Wednesday that slammed “Trump’s federal thugs.” OpenAI chief executive...
U.S. life expectancy hit an all-time high in 2024, CDC says
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. life expectancy rose to 79 years in 2024 — the highest mark in American history. It’s the result of not only the dissipation of the covid-19 pandemic, but also waning death rates from all the nation’s top killers, including heart disease, cancer and drug overdoses....
New videos show Alex Pretti scuffle with federal officers in Minneapolis 11 days before his death
WASHINGTON — Alex Pretti was forcefully taken to the ground by federal immigration agents after kicking out the tail light of their vehicle during a Minneapolis protest 11 days before he was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers, videos that emerged Wednesday show. The Jan. 13 scuffle was captured...
Worries deepen in U.S. South after days of grappling with snow, ice and widespread outages
JACKSON, Miss. — Conditions were growing more dire in parts of the South still reeling from subfreezing temperatures and widespread power outages as vehicles got stranded for hours on major highways and officials warned Wednesday that people stuck at home were running out of food, medicine and other essentials. Mississippi...
FBI raid in Georgia highlights Trump’s 2020 election obsession and hints at possible future actions
DENVER — Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection in 2020. But for more than five years, he’s been trying to convince Americans the opposite is true by falsely saying the election was marred by widespread fraud. Now that he’s president again, Trump is pushing the federal government to back...
Democratic Sen. Klobuchar says she’s running for Minnesota governor after Gov. Walz dropped out
MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Thursday she is running for governor of Minnesota, promising to take on President Donald Trump while unifying a state that has endured a series of challenges even before the federal government’s immigration crackdown. Klobuchar’s decision gives Democrats a high-profile candidate and proven statewide...
Patriots’ Robert Kraft: Bill Belichick unequivocally deserves to be 1st-ballot Hall of Famer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Count New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft among those shocked that Bill Belichick reportedly will not be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. In a statement to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Kraft said he believes Belichick’s accomplishments...
Patrick Reed leaving LIV Golf, could return to PGA Tour in SeptemberVideo
SAN DIEGO — Patrick Reed is the second major champion to leave Saudi-funded LIV Golf, announcing Wednesday he will spend the rest of the year on the European tour with an eye on returning to the PGA Tour as early as September. His stunning decision, just three days after he...
Trump signals interest in easing tensions, but Minneapolis sees little change on the streetsVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis after a second deadly shooting by federal immigration agents, but there was little evidence Wednesday of any significant changes following weeks of harsh rhetoric and clashes with protesters. The strain was evident when Trump made...
Team USA’s Hilary Knight, Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin to face off for perhaps last time
Kelly Pannek has spent the past decade enjoying a front-row view of U.S. teammate Hilary Knight and Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin one-upping the other in a fierce, friendly rivalry involving two of the most accomplished players in the history of women’s hockey. Playful and easygoing as the two are away from...
Republicans fear their midterm chances slipping away over immigration chaos
WASHINGTON — Republicans are increasingly concerned that immigration enforcement is becoming a political liability in the upcoming midterm elections after two people were killed by federal agents during President Donald Trump’s crackdown in Minneapolis. Although few are willing to publicly break with the president, there has been a crescendo of...
Gas smell at nursing home was reported hours before deadly explosion, report says
HARRISBURG — Hours before a deadly explosion ripped through a Pennsylvania nursing home last month, staff grew concerned about the smell of natural gas on several floors and brought in workers from the local utility company to check it out, federal regulators said Wednesday. The preliminary report by the National...
Democrats poised to trigger government shutdown if White House won’t meet demands for ICE reform
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are threatening to block legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies Thursday, potentially bringing the government a step closer to a partial shutdown if Republicans and the White House do not agree to new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s surge...
Federal troop deployments to U.S. cities cost taxpayers $496M and counting
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s high-profile deployment of federal troops to six U.S. cities has cost taxpayers roughly $496 million through the end of December, and continued deployment could cost over $1 billion for the rest of the year, according to new data from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. President...
NFL’s turf guru preps Levi’s Stadium field for Super Bowl
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Nick Pappas’ process for preparing the Super Bowl field got underway long before the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots started getting ready for the season. The NFL’s turf guru picked the sod farm that began growing the field for the game about 16 months ago...
