Associated Press stories, Page 707
Deebo Samuel cleared to play for 49ers in NFC title game vs. Lions
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...
Woman committed to mental institution in Slender Man attack again requests release
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...
Jackie Robinson statue stolen from Kansas park
WICHITA, Kan. — A prized statue of Jackie Robinson was stolen from a public park in Kansas, spurring a police search Friday and outrage across the city of Wichita. The statue honors the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier, in 1947. Surveillance video was released of two...
Panthers part ways with coaches Chris Tabor and James Campen, AP source says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers are parting ways with former interim head coach and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, as well as offensive line coach James Campen, a person familiar with moves told the Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Friday night because...
Michigan promotes offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh as head coachVideo
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan hired Sherrone Moore on Friday to replace coach Jim Harbaugh, giving the 37-year-old offensive coordinator an opportunity to lead college football’s winningest program. The school made the move two days after Harbaugh bolted to lead the Los Angeles Chargers with a five-year deal that gives...
Ex-coal CEO Don Blankenship couldn’t win a Senate seat with the GOP. He’s trying now as a Democrat
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Former West Virginia coal executive Don Blankenship, who lost by a wide margin when he ran for a U.S. Senate seat as a Republican in 2018, filed paperwork Friday to run as a Democrat for the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. Blankenship’s entrance into...
Egyptian soccer officials sacrifice cow for better fortune at Africa CupVideo
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Egyptian soccer officials sacrificed a cow in a bid to bring the national team more luck at the Africa Cup of Nations. Team spokesman Mohamed Morad told the Associated Press on Friday the Egyptian Football Association killed the cow and distributed the meat to needy people...
NRA chief Wayne LaPierre takes the stand in his civil trial, defends luxury vacations
NEW YORK — Longtime National Rifle Association chief Wayne LaPierre took the stand in his New York civil trial Friday, defending himself against allegations that he violated the trust of the group’s 5 million members by spending tens of millions of dollars to enrich himself and close associates. Under questioning...
Justice Department finds Cuomo sexually harassed employees, settles with New York state
ALBANY, N.Y. — The U.S. Justice Department reached a settlement with the state of New York on Friday to resolve a sexual harassment investigation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, confirming allegations from the damaging misconduct probe that led to the Democrat’s resignation. The agreement details a series of reforms made...
After 53 years, Baltimore again serves as AFC championship game host
BALTIMORE — The last time Baltimore hosted an AFC championship game, the city was enjoying quite a sports renaissance. The Orioles had won the World Series a few months earlier. Then the Colts followed with a Super Bowl title. Even the local basketball team made an appearance in the NBA...
Bill decriminalizing drug test strips in opioid-devastated West Virginia heads to governor
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bill that would decriminalize all strips used to test drugs for deadly substances in West Virginia, the state with the nation’s highest overdose rate, is headed to the desk of Republican Gov. Jim Justice. Justice hasn’t said publicly if he supports the bill, which has received...
Ravens activating TE Mark Andrews ahead of AFC championship game
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens are activating Mark Andrews from injured reserve, and coach John Harbaugh said he expects the star tight end to play in this weekend’s AFC championship game against Kansas City. Andrews injured his ankle in a Nov. 16 win over Cincinnati. Although he was...
Flyers sign Owen Tippett to 8-year, $49.6M million extension
PHILADELPHIA — Forward Owen Tippett and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Friday on a $49.6 million, eight-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been announced. The extension carries...
Lauren Boebert’s ex-husband charged after 2 domestic incidents
RIFLE, Colo. — Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, has been charged with assault and other counts in connection with two domestic altercations, including an argument with the congresswoman in a restaurant that spiraled out of control and a fight with the former couple’s son, authorities said. The...
Jury: Trump must pay additional $83.3M to E. Jean Carroll in defamation case
NEW YORK — A jury has awarded an additional $83.3 million to former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says former President Donald Trump damaged her reputation by calling her a liar after she accused him of sexual assault. Friday’s verdict was the second time in nine months a jury...
Alabama man shook violently on gurney during first-ever nitrogen gas execution
ATMORE, Ala. — A man put to death using nitrogen gas shook and convulsed for minutes on the gurney as Alabama carried out the first-of-its-kind execution that has ignited debate over the humaneness of the method. Breathing through a nitrogen-filled mask that deprived him of oxygen, 58-year-old convicted killer Kenneth...
NFL reaches ‘major milestone’ with record 9 minority head coaches in place for the 2024 season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The National Football League has urged teams for years to hire more minority head coaches. That mission finally seems to be paying off. Four minority head coaches have been hired this year, including Atlanta’s Raheem Morris, New England’s Jerod Mayo, Las Vegas’ Antonio Pierce and Carolina’s Dave...
Former President Donald Trump walks out of court during closing arguments of defamation trial
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump abruptly walked out on closing arguments at his defamation trial Friday as a lawyer for writer E. Jean Carroll urged a jury to award her client at least $12 million damages, saying Trump had shattered her reputation and her world by unleashing a...
Ukrainians worry after plane crash that POW exchanges with Russia will end
KYIV, Ukraine — As Russia and Ukraine trade accusations over this week’s crash of a Russian military transport plane, one thing is clear: families fears that future prisoner exchanges may be in danger and loved ones could stay imprisoned. Even the basic facts are being debated. Russian officials accused Kyiv...
Airstrikes in central Gaza kill 15 overnight while fighting intensifies in the enclave’s south
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes on the Nuseirat urban refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip overnight killed at least 15 people, including a 5-month-old baby, as health authorities in the besieged territory said the death toll since the start of the war has surpassed 26,000. In southern...
Sinner ends 10-time champion Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open streak, faces Medvedev for the title
MELBOURNE, Australia — Jannik Sinner ended one of Novak Djokovic’s perfect streaks in an Australian Open upset and then got to relax while Daniil Medvedev rallied from two sets down to beat Alexander Zverev after midnight to secure the other place in the final. For a self-described tennis fan, just...
Top UN court stops short of ordering cease-fire in Gaza and demands Israel contain deaths
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United Nations’ top court stopped short Friday of ordering a cease-fire in Gaza in a case accusing Israel of genocide in the tiny coastal enclave, but demanded that Israel try to limit deaths and damage caused by its military offensive there. South Africa brought the...
Melanie, singer-songwriter of ‘Brand New Key’ and other ’70s hits, dies at 76Video
Melanie, the singer-songwriter who rose through the New York folk scene, performed at Woodstock and had a series of 1970s hits including the enduring cultural phenomenon “Brand New Key,” has died. Her publicist Billy James told The Associated Press that Melanie died Tuesday. She was 76 and lived in central...
Final 4 NFL playoff teams not afraid to invest at less-coveted positions
In a season full of satisfying moments for Detroit Lions fans, an amusing one occurred in mid-December, when coach Dan Campbell had a chance to gloat a bit about the team’s most recent draft. The players in question were running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta, both of...
Playoffs give Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown chance to shine
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown wrote goals in a notebook before the season started and reads them daily. How’s he doing on the list? “Good,” St. Brown said Thursday. “Great, actually.” He accomplished at least two goals, having at least 1,500 yards receiving and...
