Associated Press stories, Page 688
Striking deals to end campus protests, some colleges invite discussion of their investments
NEW YORK — Anti-war demonstrations ceased this week at a small number of U.S. universities after school leaders struck deals with pro-Palestinian protesters, fending off possible disruptions of final exams and graduation ceremonies. The agreements at schools including Brown, Northwestern and Rutgers stand out amidst the chaotic scenes and 2,400-plus...
South Dakota Gov. Noem admits error of describing meeting North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in new book
WASHINGTON — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is releasing a new book called “No Going Back,” but on Friday her office said she would actually be going back to correct some errors — including a false claim that she once met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Republican...
After favorites Fierceness and Sierra Leone, Kentucky Derby wide open
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fate has not been kind to Mike Repole in the Kentucky Derby. The outspoken owner is 0 for 7, although he is perhaps best known for his two champions that never made the starting gate. In 2011, Uncle Mo was scratched the day before the race because...
Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife are indicted over ties to Azerbaijan
WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges and taken into custody Friday in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice probe into the couple’s ties to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. From 2014 to 2021, Cuellar, 68,...
Biden awards the Medal of Freedom to Nancy Pelosi, Medgar Evers, Michelle Yeoh and 15 others
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on 19 people, including civil rights icons such as the late Medgar Evers, prominent political leaders such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. James Clyburn, and actor Michelle Yeoh. Biden said the recipients of the...
Zebra remains on the loose in Washington state as officials close trailheads to keep people away
SEATTLE — A zebra that escaped from a trailer east of Seattle last weekend remained on the lam Friday, as authorities closed off trailheads at a nature area in hopes of keeping people away and easing her capture. The zebra was one of four that escaped as they were being...
Democratic officials criticize Meta ad policy, saying it amplifies lies about 2020 election
ATLANTA — Several Democrats serving as their state’s top election officials have sent a letter to the parent company of Facebook, asking it to stop allowing ads that claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen. In the letter addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the secretaries of state from Colorado,...
United Methodist delegates repeal their church’s ban on its clergy celebrating same-sex marriages
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — United Methodist delegates on Friday repealed their church’s longstanding ban on the celebrations of same-sex marriages or unions by its clergy and in its churches. The action marked the final major reversal of a collection of LGBTQ bans and disapprovals that have been embedded throughout the laws...
Lakers fire coach Darvin Ham after just 2 seasons in charge and 1st-round playoff exit
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after just two seasons in charge. The Lakers announced on social media that they were dismissing Ham four days after their season ended with a first-round playoff loss to Denver in five games. Ham led Los Angeles...
Nippon Steel delays closing of acquisition of U.S. Steel until late this year after U.S. DOJ request
TOKYO — Nippon Steel said Friday it has postponed the expected closing of its $14.1 billion takeover of U.S. Steel by three months after the U.S. Department of Justice requested more documentation related to the deal. Tokyo-based Nippon Steel Corp. said the deal, already approved by U.S. Steel’s shareholders, is...
Hope Hicks, ex-Trump adviser, recounts fear in 2016 campaign over impact of ‘Access Hollywood’ tape
AP-US—Trump-Hush Money, 14th Ld-Writethru14th Ld-Writethru NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign was seized with worry about the potential political damage from a tape that showed Trump bragging about grabbing women sexually without their permission, longtime Trump adviser Hope Hicks testified Friday at his hush money trial. Hicks, a former...
Biden administration says 100,000 new migrants are expected to enroll in ACA’s health care next year
WASHINGTON — Roughly 100,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children are expected to enroll in the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance next year under a directive the Biden administration released Friday. The move took longer than promised to finalize and fell short of Democratic President Joe Biden’s...
U.S. loosens some electric vehicle battery rules, potentially making more EVs eligible for tax credits
DETROIT — The U.S. government has loosened some rules governing electric vehicle tax credits a bit, potentially making more EVs eligible for credits of up to $7,500. The Treasury Department announced final regulations for the credits under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act on Friday, giving automakers more time to comply...
China sends a probe to get samples from the less-explored far side of the moon
TAIPEI, Taiwan — China on Friday launched a lunar probe to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side. It is the latest advance in China’s increasingly sophisticated space exploration program,...
Kenya president postpones reopening of schools as flood-related deaths pass 200
NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan President William Ruto has postponed next week’s planned reopening of schools until further notice, as heavy rains and floods that have killed more than 200 people continue. The president in his state of the nation address on Friday said that “meteorological reports paint a dire picture,”...
U.S. employers scaled back hiring in April but still added 175,000 jobs in the face of higher rates
WASHINGTON — The nation’s employers pulled back on their hiring in April but still added a decent 175,000 jobs in a sign that persistently high interest rates may be starting to slow the robust U.S. job market. Friday’s government report showed that last month’s hiring gain was down sharply from...
Police move in to clear NYU encampment as U.S. campus arrests grow to 2,200 in pro-Palestinian protests
LOS ANGELES — Police moved in to clear an encampment at New York University on Friday at the request of school officials, the latest development in weeks of pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses nationwide that have resulted in nearly 2,200 arrests with police sometimes using riot gear, tactical vehicles and...
U.K.’s governing Conservatives set for historic losses in local polls as Labour urges general election
LONDON — Britain’s governing Conservative Party suffered heavy losses in local election results Friday, further cementing expectations that the Labour Party will return to power after 14 years in a U.K. general election that will take place in the coming months. Labour won control of councils in England it hasn’t...
French police peacefully remove pro-Palestinian students occupying a university building in Paris
PARIS — French police on Friday peacefully removed dozens of students from a building at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, who had gathered in support of Palestinians, echoing similar encampments and solidarity demonstrations across the United States. Students waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in...
German foreign minister says Russia will face consequences for cyberattack — NATO, EU show support
BRUSSELS — Germany’s top diplomat on Friday said Russia will face consequences after accusing its military intelligence service of masterminding an “absolutely intolerable” cyberattack, as NATO and European Union member countries said they will not let Russia’s “malicious” behavior in cyberspace go unanswered. Relations between Russia and Germany were already...
A bus plunges into a rocky ravine in northern Pakistan, killing 20 people and injuring 30 others
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A bus plunged into a rocky ravine in northern Pakistan on Friday after its driver lost control, killing 20 people and injuring 30 others, officials said. The bus was traveling to Hunza on the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district when the accident occurred, senior police officer...
Matt Wallace takes 1-shot lead at Byron Nelson
McKINNEY, Texas — Matt Wallace was relegated to watching the Masters amid a self-described “terrible” season when he found himself pondering what makes some of the best golfers in the world so good. Asked if Scottie Scheffler was among the players he was watching, Wallace stumbled over his words just...
Captain sentenced to 4 years for criminal negligence in fiery deaths of 34 aboard scuba boat
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge in Los Angeles on Thursday sentenced a scuba dive boat captain to four years in prison and three years supervised release for criminal negligence after 34 people died in a fire aboard the vessel. The Sept. 2, 2019, blaze was the deadliest maritime disaster...
Tiger Woods gets special exemption to U.S. Open at Pinehurst
Tiger Woods accepted a special exemption for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, the first time the three-time champion has needed an exemption to play. Woods has been exempt for every U.S. Open since he first played in 1995 as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. His five-year exemption from...
Sam Reinhart wants Stanley Cup more than place in Panthers history
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It has become a running joke with the Florida Panthers. Ask coach Paul Maurice about Sam Reinhart, and he will say something less than glowing about his team’s top goal scorer. These are actual examples: “He’s hard to deal with.” “He’s got a terrible attitude.” “He’s...
