Associated Press stories, Page 631
Ex-Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura says he will sell cannabis edibles
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura has announced he is entering the cannabis market as a seller, as the state still figures out retail sales of the drug on the heels of legalizing marijuana for adults last year. Ventura is launching his own brand of cannabis edibles in partnership...
Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump
BILLINGS, Mont. — The Biden administration on Thursday restored rules to protect imperiled plants and animals that had been rolled back back under former President Donald Trump. Among the changes announced, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for species newly classified...
Pope, looking strong, washes feet of 12 women at Rome prison from wheelchair
ROME — Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of 12 women inmates at a Rome prison during a Holy Thursday ritual meant to emphasize his vocation of service and humility. The 87-year-old Francis performed the ritual from his wheelchair, after recent ailments have compounded his mobility problems. The Rebibbia...
Ford to trim workforce at plant that builds its F-150 Lightning as sales of electric vehicles slow
DETROIT — Ford will drastically cut the number of hourly workers at its factory that builds the Ford F-150 Lightning as sales of electric vehicles slow, according to a media report. Ford began the year by cutting production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup after weaker-than-expected electric vehicle sales growth....
UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings for aid into Gaza
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The top United Nations court on Thursday ordered Israel to take measures including opening more land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into Gaza to tackle crippling shortages in the war-ravaged enclave. The International Court of Justice issued two new so-called provisional measures...
Putin says he won’t start a war with NATO but Western bases hosting Ukraine F-16s would be targets
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin scoffed at the possibility of his country launching an attack on a NATO member, calling it “sheer nonsense,” but warned that any Western air base hosting U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets that are slated for deployment in Ukraine would be a “legitimate target” for...
White House expects about 40,000 participants at its ‘egg-ucation’-themed annual Easter egg roll
Some 40,000 people are expected to participate in Monday’s “EGG-ucation”-themed White House Easter Egg Roll, about 10,000 more people than last year. A teacher for more than 30 years, Jill Biden is transforming an annual tradition first held in 1878 into an “EGG-ucational” experience. Various stations on the South Lawn...
4 Canadian school boards sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for disrupting students’ education
TORONTO — Four of the largest school boards in the Canadian province of Ontario said Thursday they launched lawsuits against TikTok, Meta and Snapchat alleging the social media platforms are disrupting student learning. The lawsuits claim platforms like Facebook and Instagram are “designed for compulsive use, have rewired the way...
Philippine president warns of countermeasures in response to Chinese aggression at sea
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine president said Thursday that his government would take action against what he called dangerous attacks by the Chinese coast guard and suspected militia ships in the disputed South China Sea, saying “Filipinos do not yield.” Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not provide details of the actions...
Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballot dating rule is legal under civil rights law, appeals court says
HARRISBURG — A requirement for Pennsylvania voters to put accurate handwritten dates on the outside envelopes of their mail-in ballots does not run afoul of a civil rights law, a federal appeals court panel said Wednesday, overturning a lower court ruling. A divided 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled...
‘Good likelihood’ injured Embiid will be back before playoffs, 76ers’ Nurse says
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday there is a “good likelihood” reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will be back on the court before the postseason. “I think there’s a very good likelihood that he will return before the playoffs,” Nurse said before the Sixers took on the...
Top-seeded North Carolina, Clemson looking to move ACC beyond Sweet 16
LOS ANGELES — Armando Bacot and his North Carolina teammates heard the bashing about the ACC’s quality this season, and they’ve added it as a chip on their broad shoulders. Ever since Zion Williamson left Duke for the NBA in 2019 after one season, “I feel like the respect for...
UConn, San Diego State set for title-game rematch in Sweet 16
BOSTON — Connecticut coach Dan Hurley won’t shy away from the notion that his team has consistently been the best in college basketball this season. The Huskies’ 33-3 record and the dominant manner in which they’ve won along the way have proven that. He also knows that means next to...
Bob Uecker, 90, expected to broadcast Brewers’ home opener; workload the rest of season uncertain
MILWAUKEE — Bob Uecker will be back behind the microphone when the Milwaukee Brewers play their home opener Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins. How heavy a broadcasting workload the 90-year-old Uecker will have the rest of the season remains uncertain. “Bob Uecker calling the first pitch of the Brewers home...
Oakland outfielder Miguel Andújar has knee surgery
OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland outfielder Miguel Andújar had surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, an operation that usually requires a month of rehabilitation. The team said Dr. Doug Freedberg performed a right knee lateral meniscectomy at Pima Surgical Center in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Andújar will...
Yankees get infielder Jon Berti from Marlins in 3-team trade
HOUSTON — Jon Berti could be at third base for the banged-up Yankees in their opener against Houston on Thursday after New York acquired the infielder as part of a three-team trade with Miami and Tampa Bay. New York sent catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Tampa Bay Rays and minor...
Judge: Ex-Trump lawyer Eastman should lose state law license for efforts to overturn election
LOS ANGELES — A judge has recommended conservative attorney John Eastman lose his California law license over his efforts to keep former President Donald Trump in power after the 2020 election. Eastman, a former law school dean, faces 11 disciplinary charges in the state bar court stemming from his development...
4 killed, 5 wounded in stabbings in northern Illinois; suspect in custody
ROCKFORD, Ill. — Four people were killed and five were hurt in stabbings in northern Illinois on Wednesday, authorities said. A suspect is in police custody and was being questioned Wednesday afternoon, according to Rockford police Chief Carla Redd. She said one of the people who was wounded remained in...
Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dies at 82
NEW YORK — Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in the disputed 2000 election and who almost became Republican John McCain’s running mate eight years later, has died, according to a statement issued by his family....
MLB free agency: No 2-way stars, but All-Star sluggers and Cy Young winners could be in ’24-25 classVideo
Baseball’s next free agency class won’t have a two-way star such as Shohei Ohtani and almost certainly no deals like his record-shattering $700 million over 10 years to switch teams in Los Angeles this year. But there could be All-Star sluggers and Cy Young Award winners available. Big hitters Juan...
West Virginia animal shelter pleads for help fostering dogs after truck crashes into building
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A West Virginia animal shelter put out an urgent plea for people to foster its dogs after a vehicle plowed into its building Wednesday, shelter officials said. The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association said on Facebook that a rental truck struck the building as workers were cleaning. One dog’s...
MLB owners unanimously approve sale of Baltimore Orioles to a group headed by David RubensteinVideo
David Rubenstein’s purchase of the Baltimore Orioles was approved Wednesday by Major League Baseball owners, clearing the way for the Angelos family to finalize the sale after over three decades running the team. Approval of 75% of all owners was required, and MLB said the vote was unanimous. It came...
NCAA President Charlie Baker urges states with legal wagering to ban prop bets on college athletesVideo
In the midst of March Madness, the NCAA is pushing for states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban prop bets on college athletes. “Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting...
MLB preview 2024: Splashy signings boost Dodgers as teams try to dethrone Rangers
As the Los Angeles Dodgers made splashy signings with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto this offseason, other teams focused on modern baseball’s stark reality: pricey payrolls often don’t translate into titles. Baseball’s biggest spender has won the World Series just three times in the last 23 seasons: the 2009 New...
Pennsylvania House advances measure to prohibit ‘ghost guns’
HARRISBURG — A proposal to ban the purchase, sale and production of untraceable gun parts passed the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives on Wednesday, with Democrats in the House using their majority to propel gun control after years of stagnation in a divided state government. The legislation passed the House...
