Associated Press stories, Page 709
Auto dealers up campaign urging Biden administration to halt EPA tailpipe emission limits regulation
DETROIT — More than 4,700 auto dealerships across the United States urged President Joe Biden in a letter Thursday to halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to enforce stricter vehicle-pollution standards. The missive comes just weeks before the agency’s expected ruling on its tailpipe-emissions proposal, which addresses both climate change...
Washington and Baghdad plan to hold talks soon to end presence of U.S.-led coalition in Iraq
WASHINGTON — The U.S. and Iraq expect to begin formal talks soon to wind down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq, both governments said Thursday. The U.S. has had a continuous presence in Iraq since its 2003 invasion. Although all...
The NFL’s final 4 QBs are often 1st-round picks — but not this time around
Joe Theismann won one Super Bowl and played in a second with Washington after entering the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick with another franchise. He starred for a coach Joe Gibbs, whose path to the Hall of Fame featured three championships with three starting QBs — including one selected...
Maine’s top court dismisses appeal of judge’s decision on Trump’s ballot status
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s top court has declined to weigh in on whether former President Donald Trump can stay on the state’s ballot, keeping intact a judge’s decision that the U.S. Supreme Court must first rule on a similar case in Colorado. Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows concluded that...
Donald Trump testifies in his defense in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit
NEW YORK — He testified for under three minutes. But former President Donald Trump still broke a judge’s rules on what he could tell a jury about writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual assault and defamation allegations, and he left the courtroom Thursday bristling to the spectators: “This is not America.”...
Southwest Airlines is reporting a loss, and American expects to start new year with a loss
DALLAS — Fourth-quarter profit fell sharply at American Airlines, and the carrier predicted it would lose money in early 2024, while Southwest Airlines posted a loss, as both carriers struggled to cover rising labor costs. Southwest also said Thursday that it expects to receive fewer new planes than it expected...
Billy Idol talks upcoming pre-Super Bowl show, recent Hoover Dam performance, working on a new album
LOS ANGELES — Billy Idol normally takes advantage of riding his motorcycle on the open road knowing there’s hardly any traffic because millions are usually glued to watching the Super Bowl. But this year, Idol’s bike won’t be leaving his garage on game day. Instead, the legendary British rocker will...
Jersey Shore town trying not to lose the man vs. nature fight on its eroded beaches
NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. — A New Jersey shore town locked in a legal battle with the state over tens of millions of dollars it has spent trying — mostly in vain — to hold back the ocean now is more vulnerable than ever. A recent winter storm destroyed part of...
‘Barbie’ Oscars snubs prompt a backlash, even from Ken (and Hillary)
NEW YORK — “Barbie” was the biggest hit of 2023, the highest-grossing movie ever directed by a woman and a bona fide cultural sensation that turned movie theaters pink and left a still-going trail of think pieces in the wake of Greta Gerwig’s feminist fantasia. But while “Barbie” received eight...
Man convicted of murder for arson at Japanese anime studio that killed 36
TOKYO — A man was convicted of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out a shocking arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, Japan, that killed 36 people and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide. The Kyoto District Court said it found Shinji Aoba mentally...
Michigan could have Jim Harbaugh’s replacement in Sherrone Moore
When Nick Saban retired at Alabama two weeks ago, the chain reaction it set off caused five more head coaching changes across major college football in a little more than a week. Now Michigan, the winningest program in college football history and the defending national champion, is in the market...
Zero-emission goal still eludes the EU, where most cars emit the same CO2 levels as 12 years ago
BRUSSELS — Most passenger cars in the European Union still emit the same quantity of carbon dioxide as 12 years ago, the European Union’s auditing agency warned on Wednesday. The European Court of Auditors said the 27-nation bloc must “shift up gear” to come close to a zero-emissions car fleet,...
W.Va. GOP majority pushes contentious bills arming teachers, restricting bathrooms, books
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s Republican-dominated Legislature pushed forward a slate of contentious bills Wednesday that would arm teachers, allow people to sue libraries over books that offend them and restrict where transgender kids can use the bathroom at school. Described by conservatives as efforts to protect children while they...
Doc Rivers finalizing a deal to take over as Bucks coach, AP source says
MILWAUKEE — Doc Rivers is finalizing a deal to take over as the Milwaukee Bucks coach a day after the firing of Adrian Griffin, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told the Associated Press on Wednesday. Rivers and the Bucks were still negotiating Wednesday, according to the person who...
Deputies find 6 bodies at remote Mojave Desert crossroads
EL MIRAGE, Calif. — Deputies found the bodies of six people at a remote dirt crossroads in the Mojave Desert, a scene described as so grisly that Southern California TV stations blurred some of the images captured by their helicopters overhead. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responding to a request...
Texas school’s punishment of Black student who wears hair in locs is going to trial
ANAHUAC, Texas — A judge ordered Wednesday that a trial be held next month to determine whether a Black high school student in Texas can continue being punished by his district for refusing to change a hairstyle he and his family say is protected by a new state law. Darryl...
Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey practices; Mark Andrews full participant
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey was back at practice Wednesday after missing last weekend’s divisional playoff game with a calf injury. The Ravens listed Humphrey as a limited participant. It was a pretty encouraging injury report, with Sunday’s AFC championship game against Kansas City coming up....
Lions QB Jared Goff going home to face 49ers in NFC title game
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Jared Goff is California cool, staying easy breezy in good times and bad. The veteran quarterback, who is from the San Francisco Bay Area, has led the Detroit Lions to the most success they’ve had in generations with two playoff victories in one postseason for the...
Major questions loom for Raiders’ Antonio Pierce, Tom Telesco
HENDERSON, Nev. — Major decisions are coming in the next several weeks and months that will shape the Las Vegas Raiders’ future. But this was a day for Antonio Pierce to enjoy. He and new general manager Tom Telesco were officially introduced Wednesday after owner Mark Davis removed the interim...
Yu shoots 8-under 64 for a 1-shot lead over Cantlay, Hisatsune at the Farmers Insurance OpenVideo
SAN DIEGO — Kevin Yu of Taiwan shot a bogey-free, 8-under-par 64 on the North Course at Torrey Pines to take a one-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay and Ryo Hisatsune in the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open on Wednesday. The eight lowest scores came on the North Course,...
More than 70 dead after unregulated gold mine collapses in Mali, official says
BAMAKO, Mali — An unregulated gold mine collapsed late last week in Mali, killing more than 70 people, an official said Wednesday, and a search continued amid fears that the toll could rise. Karim Berthé, a senior official at the government’s National Geology and Mining Directorate, confirmed the details to...
In-N-Out to close Oakland, California, restaurant due to wave of car break-ins, armed robberies
OAKLAND, Calif. — In-N-Out Burger will close its only restaurant in Oakland, Calif., because of a wave of car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies targeting customers and employees alike, the company announced. The fast-food burger joint in a busy corridor near Oakland International Airport will close on March...
Jim Harbaugh returning to NFL to coach Chargers after leading Michigan to national title
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Jim Harbaugh will be the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, leaving Michigan after capping his ninth season as coach of college football’s winningest program with the school’s first national championship since 1997, according to multiple reports. ESPN reported it’s a five-year contract. Harbaugh made...
Ring will no longer allow police to request doorbell camera footage from users
NEW YORK — Amazon-owned Ring will stop allowing police departments to request doorbell camera footage from users, marking an end to a feature that has drawn criticism from privacy advocates. In a blog post on Wednesday, Ring said it will sunset the “Request for Assistance” tool, which allows police departments...
U.S. scientist brews up storm by offering Britain advice on tea
LONDON — An American scientist has sparked a trans-Atlantic tempest in a teapot by offering Britain advice on its favorite hot beverage. Bryn Mawr College chemistry professor Michelle Francl says one of the keys to a perfect cup of tea is a pinch of salt. The tip is included in...
