Associated Press stories, Page 690
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...
CBS announcer Ian Eagle lands in top spot for NCAA Tournament
Even though Ian Eagle is stepping into a new role as the lead announcer for CBS and TNT Sports’ coverage of the men’s NCAA Tournament, plenty of things will make it familiar. One of Eagle’s partners is Bill Raftery, the analyst for Nets games when Eagle moved to the television...
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter fired by Dodgers after allegations of illegal gambling, theft
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter and close friend was fired from the Los Angeles Dodgers after allegations of illegal gambling and theft from the Japanese baseball star. Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was let go from the team Wednesday following reports from The Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged...
Creighton’s Isaac Traudt plays through diabetes to make impact
OMAHA, Neb. — When Creighton basketball player Isaac Traudt’s teammates take a break at practice, they might grab a drink of water, chat it up or go over assignments. Traudt does that, too, but not before he checks a device attached to his body that tells him his blood glucose...
Caitlin Clark, freshmen JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo top AP women’s All-America team
Caitlin Clark has been a mainstay on the Associated Press All-America team the past few seasons. The NCAA’s all-time scoring leader from Iowa was honored for the third straight year Wednesday, becoming the 11th player to earn the distinction three times. She was a unanimous choice from the 35-member national...
March Madness hits different for Tom Izzo at Michigan State this season
EAST LANSING, Mich. — March Madness kept Tom Izzo sleepless for more than 24 hours before he heard and saw Michigan State made it into a 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Hall of Fame coach said he had one of the most anxious days of his career Sunday, sensing his...
Big-time shot-makers return to big stage in NCAA Tournament
Nearly a year has passed since Lamont Butler hit a buzzer-beater that sent San Diego State to the NCAA championship game. He’s seen it so often on social media and TV that he never had search it out himself. “It’s kind of hard to miss it,” he said. Especially in...
United Steelworkers union endorses Biden for president
PITTSBURGH — The United Steelworkers Union has endorsed President Joe Biden, giving him support from another large labor union. The announcement Wednesday by the Pittsburgh-based union came less than a week after Biden voiced opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, saying it’s vital...
New York asks court not to let Trump forgo $454M bond in fraud case appeal
NEW YORK — New York state lawyers urged an appellate court Wednesday not to buy former President Donald Trump’s claims that it’s impossible to post a bond fully covering a $454 million civil fraud judgment while he appeals. The presumptive Republican nominee’s lawyers said earlier this week that he couldn’t...
1 of 6 former officers in Mississippi gets 40 years for racist torture of 2 Black men
JACKSON, Miss. — A fourth former Mississippi sheriff’s deputy has been sentenced for his part in the racist torture of two Black men by a group of white officers who called themselves “the Goon Squad.” Christian Dedmon was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in federal prison, hours after Daniel Opdyke...
NFL competition committee proposes ban on hip-drop tackles, radical change to kickoffs
The NFL competition committee is proposing a rule to penalize so-called “hip-drop” tackles and a radical change to kickoffs to add more returns without compromising safety. The proposals will be presented to owners at the league meetings later this month, with 24 out of 32 votes needed for approval. The...
