Associated Press stories, Page 637
Another early exit for Kentucky, John Calipari shows his program is far removed from its heyday
John Calipari finished the postgame handshake line and made a beeline toward the locker room. A quick exit. Another early one for Kentucky. As Calipari walked off the floor at PPG Paints Arena in what had been an otherwise warm return trip to his blue-collar Western Pennsylvania roots, he kept...
Penn State pair begins pursuit of 4th NCAA wrestling titles with easy wins
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carter Starocci thought it a little odd that the selection committee gave him the No. 9 seed for the NCAA wrestling championships. So did most people. After all, Penn State’s star at 174 pounds has won three straight national championships. Now, after advancing to the quarterfinals...
Kentucky’s shocking loss to Oakland busts millions of brackets
LAS VEGAS — Kentucky’s 80-76 loss to Oakland didn’t just end a bunch of perfect brackets. It all but ruined many when it comes to the big picture. The third-seeded Wildcats were picked in 95% of brackets in the ESPN Tournament Challenge to beat the 14th-seeded Golden Grizzlies. What’s more,...
Kevin Streelman uses new gadget on greens, leads at Innisbrook
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Kevin Streelman has a new ball marker to help with alignment that required USGA approval before he teed off Thursday in the Valspar Championship. He had 10 consecutive one-putt greens on his way to a 7-under-par 64 and a one-shot lead. Streelman took advantage of gorgeous...
U.S. calls for vote Friday on UN resolution declaring that immediate Gaza cease-fire is ‘imperative’
UNITED NATIONS — The United States called for a vote Friday on a newly revised and tougher U.N. resolution declaring that “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is “imperative” to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million hungry...
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez says he won’t run in Democratic primary
TRENTON, N.J. — U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey said Thursday he won’t run in the Democratic primary as he faces federal corruption charges, but he left open the possibility that he would reenter the race as an independent later this year if he is exonerated at a trial....
FAU’s Dusty May enters March Madness eyeing return to Final Four as speculation swirls about futureVideo
NEW YORK — The chatter starts even before the first coach is fired, and by the time college basketball coaching jobs actually open up, the speculation is rampant about who is going where. Yes, Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May said, the constant rumors about his future are a distraction, and...
NASCAR’s next big hopeful, teenager Connor Zilisch, makes national debut
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A promising young driver who might just be one of NASCAR’s budding new stars will make his national series debut this Saturday in the Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas. Connor Zilisch then will hop a private jet and hustle his way to Pensacola, Fla.,...
Pro-Trump attorney in Michigan released from jail after posting bail on outstanding warrant
PONTIAC, Mich. — An attorney who unsuccessfully sued to overturn former President Donald Trump’s 2020 loss in Michigan posted a $10,000 bond and was released from jail after appearing in a Michigan court on an outstanding warrant Thursday. Stefanie Lambert turned herself in Thursday morning after having been arrested in...
Reddit, the self-anointed ‘front page of the internet,’ soars in Wall Street debut
NEW YORK — Reddit’s stock soared in its Wall Street debut as investors pushed the value of the company close to $9 billion seconds after it began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Reddit, which priced its IPO at $34 a share, debuted Thursday afternoon at $47 a share....
NFL retirees who say the league’s disability plan is a sham can proceed to trial
PHILADELPHIA — A lawsuit accusing the NFL’s disability plan of violating its duty to retired players by routinely denying valid injury claims can proceed to trial on most counts, a federal judge in Maryland has ruled. The lawsuit, filed last year, accuses officials who oversee the program of bad faith...
In Japan, Shohei Ohtani’s ‘perfect person’ image could take a hit
SEOUL, South Korea — Shohei Ohtani is referred to in Japan as “kanpeki no hito” — the perfect person — because of his manners and impeccable behavior. That image may have taken a hit when the Dodgers fired his good friend and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara on Wednesday over allegations he...
White former officers get sentences of 10 to 40 years in torture of 2 Black men in Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss. — The last of six former law enforcement officers who tortured two Black men outside Mississippi’s capital has been sentenced. Former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield was given an approximately 10-year federal prison sentence on Thursday. The six white officers were fired and pleaded guilty to subjecting Michael...
Congress unveils $1.2 trillion plan to avert federal shutdown and bring budget fight to a close
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers introduced a $1.2 trillion spending package Thursday that sets the stage for avoiding a partial government shutdown for several key federal agencies this weekend and allows Congress, nearly six months into the budget year, to complete its work in funding the government through September. Democrats were largely...
78,000 more public workers are getting student loans canceled through Biden administration changes
WASHINGTON — Another 78,000 Americans are getting their federal student loans canceled through a program that helps teachers, nurses, firefighters and other public servants, the Biden administration announced Thursday. The Education Department is canceling the borrowers’ loans because they reached 10 years of payments while working in public service, making...
Trump’s latest 2024 campaign fundraising report shows him lagging behind Biden in cash
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump’s fundraising picked up last month, but his political operation is still struggling to catch up to President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party in money coming in. Trump’s campaign and his Save America political action committee, two key committees in his political operation,...
Apple has kept an illegal monopoly over smartphones in U.S., Justice Department says in antitrust suit
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Thursday announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors and stifles innovation. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple has monopoly power in the smartphone...
Biden is using the ‘are you better off today’ question to contrast himself with Trump
DALLAS — President Joe Biden opened a new line of attack against former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, asking and answering the classic “are you better off today than you were four years ago” question to remind voters of what it was like when Trump was in office. The Democratic...
Their WWII mission was secret for decades. Now the Ghost Army will get the Congressional Gold Medal
DALLAS — For decades, their mission during World War II was a secret. With inflatable tanks, trucks and planes, combined with sound effects, radio trickery, costume uniforms and acting, the American military units that became known as the Ghost Army helped outwit the enemy. Now, they are being awarded the...
A firework is lit, a boy is shot. Israel’s use of deadly force against Palestinians is scrutinized
JERUSALEM — A 12-year-old boy in east Jerusalem lights the fuse of a long firework and hoists it in the air. Then, just before it explodes and illuminates the night sky with a burst of red, he is shot in the chest by Israeli police and falls to the ground....
1 of the few remaining survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor has died at 102
HONOLULU — Richard C. “Dick” Higgins, one of the few remaining survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died, a family member said Wednesday. He was 102. Higgins died at home in Bend, Oregon, on Tuesday of natural causes, granddaughter Angela Norton said. Higgins was a radioman assigned...
Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in 1st attack in 44 days; 13 people hurt
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv before dawn Thursday in the first attack on the Ukrainian capital in 44 days, officials said. Air defenses shot down all the incoming missiles, though 13 people including a child were injured by falling wreckage, they said. Residents...
Republicans make last-ditch request for Biden to testify as impeachment inquiry winds down
WASHINGTON — The House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden is all but winding down, lacking the political appetite from within the Republican ranks to go forward with an impeachment but facing political pressure to deliver after months of work. The chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, Republican...
Grambling State beats Montana State in OT of First Four
DAYTON, Ohio — Jimel Cofer scored all 19 of his points in the second half and overtime, and Grambling State rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat Montana State, 88-81, to earn its first NCAA Tournament win in program history in the First Four on Tuesday night. The Southwestern Athletic...
Bettors counting on upsets as they put money on long shots this March Madness
LAS VEGAS — Given the numerous upsets that led to last year’s unusual Final Four and the many bids stolen in this season’s conference tournaments, bettors aren’t inclined to go chalk when laying wagers for the NCAA Tournament. “People are loving some (under)dogs,” BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. “We’ve...
