Associated Press stories, Page 748
Health officials push to get schoolchildren vaccinated as more U.S. parents opt out
When Idaho had a rare measles outbreak a few months ago, health officials scrambled to keep it from spreading. In the end, 10 people, all in one family, were infected, all unvaccinated. This time, the state was lucky, said the region’s medical director Dr. Perry Jansen. The family quickly quarantined...
Federal judge blocks California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones. The law signed...
Penske 3-peat a potential theme for NASCAR in 2024
Roger Penske achieved something this season the pioneering motorports magnate had never done in his long, accomplished career with back-to-back NASCAR championships. Ryan Blaney gave Penske consecutive series titles at Phoenix last month after teammate Joey Logano’s title-winning run in 2022. “You win one, and you start all over again,”...
Christmas is in jeopardy for some New Englanders after storms and flooding knocked out power
PORTLAND, Maine — Megan Michaud and her family of five lost power for three days after a powerful storm throttled her home state of Maine, and a new challenge is creeping up on her: It’s almost time for Christmas. “This morning, my second grader told me, ‘It’s five days until...
Pitcher Jack Flaherty, Tigers finalize $14M, 1-year contract
DETROIT — Right-hander Jack Flaherty and the Detroit Tigers have finalized a $14 million, one-year contract in a deal that allows the 28-year-old right-hander to earn an additional $1 million in performances bonuses with a franchise that has invested a lot in improving next season. “There’s a lot of belief...
Signing day: Georgia has top class with 5-star flip; Ohio St. breathes sigh of relief on No. 1 player
The early signing period in college football opened Wednesday with some five-star drama. Georgia likely locked up the top recruiting class by flipping an in-state blue-chip player away from Florida State; the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country had Ohio State coach Ryan Day literally sighing with relief; and...
Trevor Lawrence still in concussion protocol as Jaguars prepare to play without star QB
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence was in the facility but still in the NFL’s concussion protocol Wednesday, leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars preparing to play without their star quarterback for the first time in three seasons. Coach Doug Pederson said Lawrence is “progressing well” but declined to speculate on Lawrence’s chances...
Rite Aid banned from facial recognition tech use for 5 years after faulty theft targeting in stores
Rite Aid has been banned from using facial recognition technology for five years over allegations that its surveillance system was used incorrectly to identify potential shoplifters, especially Black, Latino, Asian or female shoppers. The settlement with the Federal Trade Commission addresses charges that the struggling drugstore chain didn’t do enough...
White supremacist from W.Va. sentenced for threatening jury and witnesses at synagogue shooter’s trial
WHEELING, W.Va. — A self-proclaimed white supremacist was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison Wednesday for making online threats toward the jury and witnesses at the trial of a man who killed 11 congregants at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Hardy Carroll Lloyd, 45, of Follansbee, West Virginia, was...
U.S., Venezuela swap prisoners: Maduro ally for 10 Americans, plus fugitive contractor ‘Fat Leonard’
MIAMI — The United States freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the return of a fugitive defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard” who is at the center of a massive Pentagon bribery...
Toyota recalling 1 million vehicles for potential air bag problem
Toyota Motor Co. said Wednesday it is recalling 1 million vehicles over a defect that could cause airbags not to deploy, increasing the risk of injury. The recall covers a range of Toyota and Lexus vehicles with model years from 2020 to 2022. Included in the recall are Toyota Avalons,...
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers activated from IR as next step in rehab. He won’t play again until next seasonVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Aaron Rodgers will remain on the practice field to continue working on his return for the New York Jets but for next season. Coach Robert Saleh announced Wednesday the four-time NFL MVP was being activated from the injured reserve list, a move that’s merely the next...
Some state abortion bans stir confusion, and it’s uncertain if lawmakers will clarify them
Ever since the nation’s highest court ended abortion rights more than a year ago, vaguely worded bans enacted in some Republican-controlled states have caused bewilderment over how exceptions should be applied. Supporters have touted these exemptions, tucked inside statutes restricting abortion, as sufficient enough to protect the life of the...
President Biden denounces Trump as ‘doubling down’ on support for insurrection
MILWAUKEE — President Joe Biden said it’s “self-evident” that Donald Trump is an insurrectionist for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss but stopped short of commenting on a Colorado legal case that would bar him from the state’s ballot. The Democratic president made the comments about his likely Republican...
Trump’s lawyers ask Supreme Court to stay out of dispute on whether he is immune from prosecution
WASHINGTON — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to stand down from a dispute over whether he can be prosecuted on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team last week urged the nation’s high court to...
The Constitution’s insurrection clause threatens Trump’s campaign. Here is how that is playing out
DENVER — Former President Donald Trump’s bid to win back the White House is now threatened by two sentences added to the U.S. Constitution 155 years ago. The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday barred Trump from the state’s ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits anyone who...
Man accused in assaults on trail now charged in 2003 rape, murder of Philadelphia medical student
PHILADELPHA — A man accused of slashing people with a large knife while riding a bicycle on a trail in Philadelphia in recent weeks has been formally charged in the cold-case rape and slaying of a medical student that occurred among a series of high-profile sexual assaults in a large...
After 12 years, 2 kids and ‘Barbie,’ Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach quietly marry
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach are officially married, their representative told The Associated Press Wednesday. The two filmmakers have been together for 12 years, have two children and collaborated on many films, including “Barbie,” which they co-wrote and Gerwig directed. They met on Baumbach’s “Greenberg” and went on to work...
Zac Efron and Lily James on the simple gesture that frames the tragedy of the Von Erich wrestlers in ‘The Iron Claw’Video
Zac Efron didn’t realize how much he needed a hug. He’d transformed himself into a mass of muscle and repressed emotion to play professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich in the new film “The Iron Claw.” It was a taxing role and unlike anything he’d done before, both physically and psychologically....
Judge orders release of over 150 names of people mentioned in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit documents
NEW YORK — A federal judge has ordered the public disclosure of the identities of more than 150 people mentioned in a mountain of court documents related to the late-financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying that most of the names were already public and that many had not objected to the release....
Freshman Owen McCown leads UTSA to Frisco Bowl win over Marshall
FRISCO, Texas — Redshirt freshman Owen McCown recovered from a shaky beginning to his first start of the year to complete 22 of 31 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns as UTSA rallied from a two touchdown deficit to beat Marshall, 35-17, in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday night....
America’s animal shelters are overcrowded with pets from families facing economic and housing woes
MENANDS, N.Y. — Kaine is a big, buoyant dog looking for a home. But lately, he’s spending a lot of time at the office. Animal shelters around the U.S. are bursting at the seams amid the rising cost of living, so the gray and white 7-year-old has been staying in...
U.S. released ally of Venezuela’s president in swap for jailed Americans
MIAMI — The Biden administration has released a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a swap for jailed Americans, the Associated Press has learned. Alex Saab, who was arrested on a U.S. warrant for money laundering in 2020, was released from custody Wednesday. In exchange, Maduro will free...
The poinsettia by any other name? Try ‘cuetlaxochitl’ or ‘Nochebuena’
SANTA FE, N.M. — Like Christmas trees, Santa and reindeer, the poinsettia has long been a ubiquitous symbol of the holiday season in the U.S. and Europe. But now, nearly 200 years after the plant with the bright crimson leaves was introduced north of the Rio Grande, attention is once...
U.S. flies bombers for joint drills with South Korea, Japan after North’s long-range missile launch
SEOUL, South Korea — The United States flew long-range bombers for joint drills with South Korea and Japan on Wednesday in a show of force against North Korea, days after the North performed its first intercontinental ballistic missile test in five months. The trilateral training off South Korea’s southern island...
