Associated Press stories, Page 639

SAN DIEGO — Matthieu Pavon made an 8-foot putt for a dramatic birdie on No. 18 at Torrey Pines South for a one-shot victory in the Farmers Insurance Open on Saturday that made him the first Frenchman to win on the PGA Tour. Pavon raised his arms in celebration and...

TAMPA, Fla. — Revelers clad in pirate finery packed Tampa’s waterfront Saturday as a flotilla of boats arrived for the city’s annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Led by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the invading pirates docked to make a final demand for the key to the city. Once ashore, the...

STILLWATER, Okla. — Javon Small hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining, and Oklahoma State held on to defeat West Virginia, 70-66, on Saturday in Oklahoma State’s annual Remember the Ten game. It was 27 years ago Saturday that 10 members of the Oklahoma State basketball family died when...

MELBOURNE, Australia — Winning her first Grand Slam title in Australia a year ago gave Aryna Sabalenka the confidence she could do it again. Losing the U.S. Open final last September gave her the extra motivation. No. 2-ranked Sabalenka clinched back-to-back Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over...

NEW YORK — For years, Donald Trump hurled insults at E. Jean Carroll, saying the advice columnist fabricated a sexual assault allegation against him to sell a book. Will Trump keep that up now that he’s been hit with a $83.3 million defamation judgment? A jury on Friday awarded her...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals has named Barry Keoghan, best known for his roles in “Dunkirk,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “Eternals,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” as the recipient of its 2024 Man of the Year Award. Keoghan recently starred in the comedy psychological thriller...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan is giving Sherrone Moore a shot, hoping he can sustain at least some of the success coach Jim Harbaugh had toward the end of his nine-season run with college football’s winningest program. “Jim talked effusively about Sherrone before the season, after the season and in...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals and utility man Adam Frazier agreed to a $4.5 million, one-year contract to provide the club with a left-handed bat and some versatility in the lineup, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday. Frazier will make...

BEIJING — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan that Washington should stand by a commitment not to support independence for Taiwan, during their high-level talks in the Thai capital, the Chinese foreign ministry said Saturday. Wang said that Taiwan’s recent election didn’t change the...

CARACAS, Venezuela — The U.S. government on Saturday condemned the decision of Venezuela’s highest court to block the presidential candidacy of opposition leader María Corina Machado. The Biden administration, however, remained noncommittal about reimposing economic sanctions on Venezuela, which it has threatened to do if the government of President Nicolás...

LONDON — Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined a march in southern England on Saturday to protest the use of private jets and the expansion of an airport. Hundreds of local residents and activists holding banners and placards that read “Ban Private Jets” marched to Farnborough Airport, which mostly serves private...

Alaska Airlines has begun flying Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners again for the first time since they were grounded after a panel blew out of the side of one of the airline’s planes. The airline said in a statement that it has completed its final inspection of their group of...

WASHINGTON — When IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel met privately with senators recently, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee asked for his assessment of a startling report: A whistleblower estimated that 95% of claims now being made by businesses for a covid-era tax break were fraudulent. “He looked at his...

RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Witnesses said three Palestinians were killed Saturday in an airstrike that Israel’s military said was targeting a Hamas commander in southern Gaza, less than a day after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to do all it could to prevent death, destruction and any acts...

PETALUMA, Calif. — Last month, Mike Weber got the news every poultry farmer fears: His chickens tested positive for avian flu. Following government rules, Weber’s company, Sunrise Farms, had to slaughter its entire flock of egg-laying hens — 550,000 birds — to prevent the disease from infecting other farms in...

STAMFORD, Conn. — Wrestling icon Vince McMahon resigned Friday from WWE’s parent company t he day after a former employee filed a federal lawsuit accusing him and another former executive of serious sexual misconduct, including offering her to a star wrestler for sex. McMahon stepped down from his position as...

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Joe Biden doesn’t need to worry about his prospects in South Carolina’s Democratic primary next week. He’s got that locked up. He also knows he’s not likely to win the solidly red state come November. It hasn’t voted for a Democrat since 1976. He’s spending this weekend...

NORTH BELLMORE, N.Y. — Authorities seized about a hundred animals from a Long Island home packed with exotic species — including a giant African snail, a sulcata tortoise and a South American ostrich, advocates said Friday. The animals, some of which are endangered species, were discovered by state and local...

MIAMI — The world’s largest cruise ship — the size of almost four city blocks — is set to begin its maiden voyage Saturday as it leaves from the Port of Miami. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas runs nearly 1,200 feet (365 meters) from bow to stern. The ship,...

ATMORE, Ala. — Alabama’s first-ever use of nitrogen gas for execution could gain traction among other states and change how the death penalty is carried out in the United States, much like lethal injection did more than 40 years ago, according to experts on capital punishment. Alabama Attorney General Steve...

NEW ORLEANS — A man who shot former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith following a traffic crash nearly eight years ago has been convicted of manslaughter. The jury deliberated for more than four hours and reached its verdict in the retrial of Cardell Hayes just after midnight Saturday, news...

ARLINGTON, Texas — The World Series champion Texas Rangers finalized deals Friday with veteran reliever David Robertson and outfielder Travis Jankowski but still have no agreement with AL Championship Series MVP Adolis García in advance of salary arbitration hearings. Robertson will get $10 million in 2024 and has a mutual...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Few people proselytize about the importance of tight ends more than San Francisco’s George Kittle. He helped the NFL create a “holiday” to honor the position each October and launched the annual Tight End University where scores of players gather to share tips of the trade....

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was cleared to play in the the NFC championship game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday after leaving last week’s game with a shoulder injury. Samuel was a full participant in practice Friday and has no injury designation as...

WAUKESHA, Wis. — One of two Wisconsin women accused of stabbing a classmate nearly to death almost a decade ago to please internet horror character Slender Man is again asking a judge to release her from a mental institution. Morgan Geyser, 21, petitioned Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren on...