Associated Press stories, Page 677
Months ahead of the presidential election, Nebraska’s GOP governor wants a winner-take-all system
OMAHA, Neb. — With only months to go before what is shaping up to be a hotly contested presidential election, Nebraska’s Republican governor is calling on state lawmakers to move forward with a “winner-take-all” system of awarding Electoral College votes. “It would bring Nebraska into line with 48 of our...
Biggest cicada rise in decades set for eastern U.S.
Trillions of evolution’s bizarro wonders, red-eyed periodical cicadas that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their rears, are about to emerge in numbers not seen in decades and possibly centuries. This time, however, Western Pennsylvania will be spared. Crawling out from underground every 13 or 17 years,...
Buffalo Bills agree to trade top receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston TexansVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills are trading their top receiving threat, Stefon Diggs, to the Houston Texans in a deal that was agreed to on Wednesday. In announcing the trade, the Bills acquired the Texans’ second-round pick in the 2025 draft, which Houston acquired in a trade with...
LSU star Angel Reese declares for WNBA draft via Vogue photo shoot, says ‘I didn’t want to be basic’
BATON ROUGE, La. — Bayou Barbie is WNBA bound. LSU star Angel Reese formally declared for the WNBA draft less than two days after the Tigers’ season ended with a loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Reese made her announcement...
Ugandan court rejects bid to nullify anti-gay law that provides for the death penalty in some cases
KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday upheld an anti-gay law that allows the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” despite widespread condemnation from rights groups and others abroad. President Yoweri Museveni signed the bill into law in May last year. The law is supported by many in the East...
Man is arrested in Easter brunch shooting in Nashville that left 1 dead, 5 injured
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Police arrested a Tennessee man who is suspected of opening fire during Easter brunch at a Nashville restaurant, killing one person and injuring five more. Anton Rucker was taken into custody Tuesday in Princeton, Kentucky, after Nashville police detectives located him at a residence there, according to...
Prosecutors in Trump’s classified documents case sharply rebuke judge’s unusual and ‘flawed’ order
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors chided the judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida, warning her off potential jury instructions that they said rest on a “fundamentally flawed legal premise.” In an unusual order, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had asked prosecutors and defense lawyers to...
Man who used megaphone to lead attack on police during Capitol riot gets over 7 years in prison
WASHINGTON — A Washington state man who used a megaphone to orchestrate a mob’s attack on police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Wednesday to more than seven years in prison. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said videos captured Taylor James Johnatakis playing a leadership role during the...
Elon Musk’s X has a new safety leader, 9 months after predecessor left
NEW YORK — Elon Musk’s X has named a new head of safety nine months after the last executive to hold the position departed from the social media company. X said that company veteran Kylie McRoberts will oversee the global safety team. The platform also announced that Yale Cohen, who...
Strongest earthquake in 25 years rocks Taiwan, killing 9 people and stranding 70 workers in quarries
HUALIEN, Taiwan — The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan during the morning rush hour Wednesday, killing nine people, stranding dozens of workers at quarries and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings. The quake, which also injured more than 1,000, was centered off the coast...
North Korea says it tested a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile that’s easier to hide
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Wednesday it had tested a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile powered with solid propellants, extending a run of weapons tests that’s deepening a nuclear standoff with neighbors and the United States. With the supposed success of the demonstration, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un...
Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in its cloud computing unit AWS
Amazon said Wednesday it will cut hundreds of jobs in its cloud computing unit AWS as part of a strategic shift. The company will trim “a few hundred roles” in the team that overlooks technology for physical stores, a move that comes just a day after Amazon said it was...
Russia: U.S. shares blame in a concert hall attack claimed by Islamic militants
TALLINN, Estonia — The head of Russia’s national security council on Wednesday contended that the U.S. shares blame for the attack by gunmen on a Moscow concert hall that killed 145 people, even though a branch of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility. Since the March 22 attack at...
Ukraine lowers its conscription age to 25 to plug a shortfall in troop numbers fighting Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine on Wednesday lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion. The new mobilization law came into force a day after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed it....
EPA didn’t declare a public health emergency after fiery Ohio train derailment
The aftermath of last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio doesn’t qualify as a public health emergency because widespread health problems and ongoing chemical exposures haven’t been documented, federal officials said. The Environmental Protection Agency never approved that designation after the February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment even though the...
Pope shows off rosary of slain Ukrainian soldier, denounces ‘madness of war’
ROME — Pope Francis led thousands of people in a moment of silence Wednesday to pray for the aid workers killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza and a young Ukrainian soldier named Oleksandre who was killed in ”this madness of war.” Francis appealed anew for an immediate cease-fire in...
Caitlin Clark will take stage in Final Four loaded with star players, power programs
CLEVELAND — The final shows for Caitlin Clark’s tour are booked in an arena just a short drive from the Rock & Roll Hall Fame. Hello, Cleveland. College basketball’s biggest act — men’s or women’s — will close her magnificent Iowa career this weekend in the Final Four after Clark...
Biden and Trump win Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and Wisconsin primaries
KENOSHA, Wis. — Voters in four states weighed in Tuesday on their parties’ presidential nominees, a largely symbolic vote now that both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have locked up the Democratic and Republican nominations. Biden and Trump easily won primaries in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York...
Tsunami threat largely passes after strong earthquake strikes TaiwanVideo
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The tsunami threat from a strong earthquake that struck Taiwan has largely passed. The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its forecast from 9.8 feet to 3.3 feet. One island had a wave of about a foot, while smaller waves were detected in other islands. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary...
12.3 million: Iowa’s victory over LSU is the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record
BRISTOL, Conn. — Caitlin Clark can claim another highlight — the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record. Iowa’s 94-87 victory over LSU in Monday night’s Albany 2 Region final averaged 12.3 million viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen. Clark scored 41 points as the Hawkeyes avenged last year’s loss...
N.C. State’s Final Four double has Wolfpack fans howling with March Madness delightVideo
RALEIGH, N.C. — The grave sits perched on a hill in the historic 72-acre Oakwood Cemetery near downtown. It bears “Valvano” carved in large letters on polished black stone, honoring N.C. State’s charismatic coach who sold big dreams then lived them in an unforgettable run to the 1983 national championship....
March Madness: Tournament ratings up after most-watched Elite Eight Sunday in 5 years
NEW YORK — The Elite Eight game between N.C. State and Duke produced the largest audience for an Easter Sunday telecast on any network in 11 years. The Wolfpack’s 76-64 victory over the Blue Devils in the South Region final averaged 15.1 million viewers on CBS, according to Nielsen. The...
Video shows California deputies fatally shooting abducted teen as she runs toward them
LOS ANGELES — A teenage girl who had been kidnapped by her father was following a sheriff’s deputy’s instructions and appeared to be surrendering when other deputies fatally shot her during a gun battle on a Southern California highway, according to recently released video and audio. Savannah Graziano, 15, was...
Lawsuit seeks to force ban on menthol cigarettes after months of delays by Biden administration
WASHINGTON — Anti-smoking groups sued the U.S. government Tuesday over a long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes, which has been idling at the White House for months. The lawsuit is the latest effort to force the government to ban menthols, which are disproportionately used by Black smokers and young people. It...
Bob Uecker begins 54th season broadcasting Brewers games after turning 90 earlier this yearVideo
MILWAUKEE — Bob Uecker was back at American Family Field once again to broadcast the Milwaukee Brewers’ home opener as team officials remained circumspect about the 90-year-old’s workload for the rest of the season. This will be Uecker’s 54th season broadcasting Brewers baseball, though he has limited himself to home...
