Associated Press stories, Page 719
Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford get into Songwriters Hall of Fame
NEW YORK — Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an incoming class of musicians who have scaled the heights of country, classic rock, pop, hip-hop and alt-rock. Steely Dan — co-founded by Donald Fagan and the late Walter...
Cutting interest rates too soon in Europe risks progress against inflation, central bank chief says
FRANKFURT, Germany — Cutting interest rates too soon could threaten Europe’s progress in battling the inflation that has ravaged the economy, the head of the European Central Bank said Wednesday amid widespread speculation that the bank will soon lower rates from record highs. Christine Lagarde, faced with market expectations for...
Kate, the Princess of Wales, hospitalized for up to 2 weeks with planned abdominal surgery
LONDON — The Princess of Wales has been hospitalized after undergoing planned abdominal surgery and will remain at The London Clinic for up to two weeks, Kensington Palace said Wednesday. The former Kate Middleton is expected to return to public duties after Easter, the palace said. The 42-year-old future queen...
How watermelon imagery, a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians, spread around the planet
Over the past three months, on banners and T-shirts and balloons and social media posts, one piece of imagery has emerged around the world in protests against the Israel-Hamas war: the watermelon. The colors of sliced watermelon — with red pulp, green-white rind and black seeds — are the same...
Judge threatens to boot Donald Trump from courtroom over loud talking as E. Jean Carroll testifies
NEW YORK — Donald Trump was threatened with expulsion from his Manhattan civil trial Wednesday after he repeatedly ignored a warning to keep quiet while writer E. Jean Carroll testified that he shattered her reputation after she accused him of sexual abuse. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan told the former president...
Hostages and residents in Gaza are set to receive medicines as Israel-Hamas war rages on
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — A shipment of medicine for dozens of hostages held by Hamas was en route to Gaza on Wednesday after France and Qatar mediated the first agreement between Israel and the militant group since a weeklong cease-fire in November. The medicines arrived in Egypt and were on...
Clary, Baldwin lead Penn State over No. 11 Wisconsin for 1st ranked win under Mike RhoadesVideo
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State students celebrated a rare snow day on campus, then got to rejoice after their basketball team’s biggest win under coach Mike Rhoades. Kanye Clary scored 27 points, Ace Baldwin Jr. added 20 and the Nittany Lions beat No. 11 Wisconsin 87-83 on Tuesday night for...
The JetBlue-Spirit Airlines merger was blocked by a federal judge. Here’s what you need to know
NEW YORK — The prospect of a JetBlue-Spirit Airlines merger took a major hit in court on Tuesday when a federal judge sided with the Biden administration and blocked the $3.8 billion deal. The judge ruled that JetBlue’s purchase of Spirit, the nation’s largest low-cost airline, would harm competition —...
Lawmakers announce bipartisan effort to enhance child tax credit, revive tax breaks for businesses
WASHINGTON — The chairmen of the top tax policy committees in Congress announced a bipartisan agreement Tuesday to enhance the child tax credit and revive a variety of tax breaks for businesses, a combination designed to attract support from lawmakers of both political parties. The roughly $78 billion in tax...
Shooter who killed 5 people at Colorado LGBTQ+ club intends to plead guilty to federal hate crimes
DENVER — The shooter who killed five people and endangered the lives of over 40 others at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs plans to plead guilty to new federal charges for hate crimes and firearm violations under an agreement that would allow the defendant to avoid the death penalty,...
Bills’ schedule could be disrupted with another snowstorm forecast to hit region
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Mother Nature might not be through complicating the Buffalo Bills’ playoff schedule, leaving coach Sean McDermott assessing his options Tuesday. McDermott said the team, for now, is still scheduled to practice Wednesday and Thursday, while monitoring a forecast that projects a lake-effect storm dumping nearly 2...
Emmy Awards get record low ratings with audience of 4.3 million viewers
LOS ANGELES — The Emmy Awards telecast on Fox reached a record low audience of 4.3 million viewers, as the long-term trend of diminishing ratings for the show continues. The Nielsen company said Tuesday that the Monday night show hosted by Anthony Anderson with “Succession” and “The Bear” raking in...
Ravens hope their bye has them refreshed and healthier for their playoff opener against TexansVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Leave it to Roquan Smith, Baltimore’s chatty linebacker, to put the enormity of the postseason into words. “I don’t feel pressure at all, but some do say pressure bursts pipes and makes diamonds,” Smith said. “I know a lot of guys in there like diamonds, so...
Overdraft fees could drop to as low as $3 under new Biden proposal
NEW YORK — The cost to overdraw a bank account could drop to as little as $3 under a proposal announced by the White House, the latest effort by the Biden administration to combat fees it says pose an unnecessary burden on American consumers, particularly those living paycheck to paycheck....
Alex Murdaugh faces uphill battle for new murder trial as judge limits permissible evidence
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Alex Murdaugh faces a steep uphill battle in his push for a new murder trial after a state judge on Tuesday limited witness questioning and set a high burden of proof surrounding accusations that the court clerk tampered with the jury during last year’s sensational proceedings. Even...
Wrestler Hulk Hogan helps rescue teenage girl trapped after Florida car crash
TAMPA, Fla. — Retired wrestler Hulk Hogan and a friend rescued a teenage girl who was trapped in an overturned vehicle after a crash in Florida, according to Hogan’s social media posts. Hogan said on the social media platform X that he used a ball point pen to puncture the...
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson ends his 2024 campaign after 6th-place finish in Iowa caucuses
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson dropped his long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, ending a candidacy that was a throwback to an earlier era of the GOP but ultimately failed to resonate in a party now dominated by Donald Trump. Hutchinson’s exit came...
Suspect in Long Island’s Gilgo Beach serial killings is charged with the death of a 4th woman
NEW YORK — An architect charged in a string of slayings known as the Gilgo Beach killings was accused Tuesday in the death of a fourth woman, a Connecticut mother of two who vanished in 2007 and whose remains were found more than three years later along a New York...
Next Republican debate canceled after Nikki Haley says she’ll only participate if Donald Trump does
DES MOINES, Iowa — ABC News on Tuesday canceled the next Republican presidential debate after Nikki Haley said she wouldn’t participate unless former President Donald Trump takes part in it, leaving Gov. Ron DeSantis as the only candidate committed to Thursday’s event in New Hampshire. “We’ve had five great debates...
Chaotic wave of attacks, reprisals in Middle East fuel worries of a broader regional war
WASHINGTON — A barrage of U.S., coalition and militant attacks in the Middle East over the last five days are compounding U.S. fears that Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza could expand, as massive military strikes failed to stall the assault on Red Sea shipping by Yemen-based Houthis. Even as...
The Supreme Court allows a court order to take effect that could cost Apple billions of dollars
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a court order to take effect that could loosen Apple’s grip on its lucrative iPhone app store, and potentially affect billions of dollars in revenue a year. The justices rejected Apple’s appeal of lower-court rulings that found some of Apple’s app store...
Marc-Andre Fleury’s milestone gives Wild another reason to celebrate the NHL’s 2nd-winningest goalie
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The crowd chants for Marc-Andre Fleury started in the second period and filled the arena again in the waning minutes, as the Minnesota Wild goalie closed in on a long-sought milestone. Once the horn sounded on Fleury’s 552nd win in the NHL on Monday night, putting...
Eagles center Jason Kelce intends to retire after 13 NFL seasons, AP sources say
PHILADELPHIA — Jason Kelce stood on the sideline in tears as the final seconds ticked off in his likely final NFL game. Kelce embraced his long-time offensive line coach. He removed his helmet once the game ended — a Philadelphia Eagles loss that completed a harrowing season-ending collapse — and...
Supreme Court declines to step into fight over bathrooms for transgender students
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday passed up a chance to intervene in the debate over bathrooms for transgender students, rejecting an appeal from an Indiana public school district. Federal appeals courts are divided over whether school policies enforcing restrictions on which bathrooms transgender students can use violate federal...
3rd Chiefs-Bills playoff meeting in 4 seasons highlights NFL’s divisional round
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will have a third shot at Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. This time, Buffalo gets to play at home. And there won’t be a Super Bowl rematch between Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. At least not this season. Mahomes will...
