Associated Press stories, Page 598
Michael Rulli’s win in Ohio will grow GOP’s razor-thin majority in the U.S. House
COLUMBUS — Republican state Sen. Michael Rulli won a special election Tuesday in eastern Ohio for a U.S. House seat that has sat vacant for months, expanding the GOP’s narrow majority in the congressional chamber. Rulli, 55, defeated Democrat Michael Kripchak to fill the remainder of Republican Bill Johnson’s unexpired...
DK Metcalf excited for Seahawks future with Mike Macdonald
RENTON, Wash. — DK Metcalf has one issue with his new coach in Seattle, Mike Macdonald. “He’s a defensive coach. That’s one thing I don’t like about him,” Metcalf joked. “But it’s good for our team.” Seattle’s star wide receiver was present for the start of mandatory minicamp Tuesday after...
North Carolina lawmakers approve mask bill that allows health exemption after pushback
RALEIGH — A new, reworked version of a bill that originally caught flak for removing a pandemic-era health exemption for wearing a mask in public was approved by North Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday. The amended bill still increases punishments for people wearing masks while committing a crime. It was brought...
Southern Baptists expel Virginia church for believing women can serve as pastors
INDIANAPOLIS — Even as they prepare to vote on a formal ban on churches with women pastors, delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to boot one such church from its ranks. Messengers, as voting representatives are known, voted 6,759 to 563 to oust First Baptist...
Leon Draisaitl avoids suspension, Aleksander Barkov could play in Stanley Cup Final Game 3
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Leon Draisaitl is eligible to play for Edmonton in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night after avoiding a possible suspension. Time will tell on two other key players in the series. Florida captain Aleksander Barkov’s status is the biggest question after leaving...
Bengals QB Joe Burrow not rushing rehab of his surgically repaired wrist
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has dealt with multiple injuries in his first four years in the NFL, so he’s learned plenty about what it takes to come back from them. Rushing through rehab to get back on the field sooner is not necessarily the best way to...
Jon Rahm withdraws from the US Open with a left foot infectionVideo
PINEHURST, N.C. — Jon Rahm withdrew from the U.S. Open on Tuesday afternoon because of an infection in his left foot that led to concerns it could hurt the rest of his game. Rahm, a past Masters champion and former No. 1 player in the world, announced his decision in...
Rory McIlroy arrives at the U.S. Open content with his career, yet burning to end his major droughtVideo
PINEHURST, N.C. — The final question Rory McIlroy was asked before he headed onto Pinehurst No. 2 on Tuesday for his first practice round at this week’s U.S. Open was perhaps more befitting of a player in the twilight of his career than one ranked No. 3 in the world....
Jayson Tatum knows his shooting numbers aren’t great. The Celtics control the NBA Finals anywayVideo
DALLAS — There have been two versions of Jayson Tatum in the NBA Finals. Version One is shooting a dismal 12 for 38 from the field, just 31.6%, the worst percentage by far of any starter in the series between his Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Version Two is second...
Dog fight! Joey Chestnut out of July 4 hot dog eating contest because of deal with rival brand
NEW YORK — Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, the reigning champion of the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, will not participate in this year’s event after signing a deal with a rival brand, organizers said Tuesday. Chestnut, 40, has long been the face — not to mention the...
Gas prices are falling. Experts point to mild demand at the pump ahead of summer travel
NEW YORK — Gas prices are once again on the decline across the country, bringing some relief to drivers now paying a little less to fill up their tanks. The national average for gas prices on Monday stood around $3.44, according to AAA. That’s down about 9 cents from a...
Gunman wounds 3 in Atlanta food court before being shot by officer, police say
ATLANTA — A gunman shot three people at a food court in downtown Atlanta before he was shot by a police officer Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. All four people who were shot at the Peachtree Center food court are expected to survive, including the suspect, according to Atlanta Police Chief...
Federal judge throws out Florida law blocking treatment for transgender children
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A federal judge on Tuesday struck down a 2023 Florida law that blocked gender-affirming care for transgender minors and severely restricted such treatment for adults, calling the statute unconstitutional. Senior Judge Robert Hinkle said the state went too far when it barred transgender minors from being...
Rising costs for youth sports represents a challenge for families in keeping children active
The costs keep adding up — league fees, gear, travel — when it comes to youth sports in North America. It’s a longtime issue exacerbated by inflation and hardly confined to the United States. The expense of playing youth hockey is one of the primary reasons cited by parents and...
49ers running back Christian McCaffrey to appear on Madden cover
Christian McCaffrey grew up playing the Madden NFL video game with his brother, dreaming of being a player in the league one day. Getting on the cover of the famed video game was never even a consideration. Electronic Arts Inc. announced Tuesday that the San Francisco 49ers star running back...
Aaron Rodgers missing Jets mandatory minicamp
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and edge rusher Haason Reddick are not participating in the team’s mandatory minicamp this week, unexcused absences that subject both to fines. Coach Robert Saleh said Tuesday he has spoken to both players. Rodgers’ absence is related to a previous...
Manhattan DA and Trump prosecutor set to appear before Congress on July 12, AP source says
WASHINGTON — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is scheduled to testify before Congress on July 12, a day after former President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money trial, according to a person familiar with the matter. Bragg is set to appear before the House Select Committee on weaponization alongside...
Future of Elon Musk and Tesla are on the line this week as shareholders vote on massive pay package
DETROIT — If Tesla shareholders vote against restoring Elon Musk’s $44.9 billion pay package Thursday, the CEO could deliver on threats to take artificial intelligence research to one of this other companies. Or he could even could walk away. If they approve the all-stock compensation package that was thrown out...
Pamela Smart, serving life, accepts responsibility for her husband’s 1990 killing for the 1st time
CONCORD, N.H. — Pamela Smart, who is serving life in prison for plotting with her teenage student to have her husband killed in 1990, accepted full responsibility for his death for the first time in a videotaped statement released Tuesday as part of her latest sentence reduction request. Smart, 56,...
Michigan couple, attorney announced as winners of $842.4 million Powerball jackpot
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A mid-Michigan couple and a lawyer from the west side of the state were announced Tuesday as winners of an $842.4 million Powerball lottery jackpot from a ticket purchased on New Year’s Day. The Breakfast Club lottery club opted for a cash lump sum of...
NYC bird group drops name of illustrator and slave owner Audubon
NEW YORK — The conservationist group known as NYC Audubon has changed its name to NYC Bird Alliance to distance itself from the pro-slavery views of ornithologist and illustrator John James Audubon, the organization announced. The name change, which was formalized by a June 5 membership vote, follows similar moves...
NFL’s dedication to expanding flag football starts at the top with Commissioner Roger Goodell
The NFL’s dedication to expanding flag football starts at the top. Commissioner Roger Goodell has been fully invested in growing the non-contact version of the most popular sport in the United States. Flag football introduces more people, including folks around the world, to the NFL so it’s a wise commitment...
Pakistani army kills 11 militants in raid in the northwest following bombing that killed 7 soldiers
DERA ISLAMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Pakistani security forces raided a militant hideout, killing 11 in an overnight operation in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in the restive northwest, authorities said on Tuesday. The intelligence-based raid was in retaliation to Sunday’s roadside bombing that killed seven soldiers in the...
Chinese police say a suspect is in custody in the stabbing of 4 U.S. college instructors
BEIJING — Chinese police have detained a suspect in a stabbing attack on four instructors from Iowa’s Cornell College who were teaching at a Chinese university in the northeast city of Jilin, officials said Tuesday. Jilin city police said a 55-year-old man surnamed Cui was walking in a public park...
A dog helped his owner get rescued after a car crash in a remote, steep ravine in Oregon
BAKER COUNTY, Ore. — A dog has helped his owner get rescued after a car crash in a steep ravine in mountainous northeastern Oregon, authorities said. A man was driving with his four dogs on a remote U.S. Forest Service road on June 2 when he crashed into a ravine...
