Associated Press stories, Page 791
Angels hire Ron Washington as manager to replace Phil Nevin
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels hired Ron Washington to be their new manager Wednesday, turning to a veteran baseball mind in an attempt to end nearly a decade of losing. The 71-year-old Washington became the majors’ oldest current manager and only the second active Black manager, joining the...
U.S. launches airstrike on Syrian site in response to attacks by Iranian-backed militias
WASHINGTON — The U.S. launched an airstrike on a facility in eastern Syria used by Iranian-backed militias, in retaliation for what has been a growing number of attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in the region for the past several weeks, the Pentagon said. Wednesday’s strike by two U.S. F-15...
Vikings designate WR Justin Jefferson for return from IR
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings designated wide receiver Justin Jefferson for return from injured reserve Wednesday, bringing the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year back to practice with three weeks to assess the readiness of his strained right hamstring for game action. Jefferson’s four-week minimum on IR ended...
Timika Lane wins court seat, as Pennsylvania Democrats sweep 4 statewide judicial races
HARRISBURG — Democrat Timika Lane won a seat on a statewide appellate court in Pennsylvania, giving Democrats a sweep of four statewide judicial races in Tuesday’s election, including an open seat on the state’s highest court. Vote-counting continued into Wednesday and put Lane, a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge, over...
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves wins 2nd term, defeating Democrat Brandon Presley
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves won a second term Tuesday in the conservative state where his party dominates. Reeves defeated challenger Brandon Presley, who raised more money and made an aggressive push to give Democrats a rare statewide victory in the Deep South. “Mississippi has momentum, and...
Suspect in custody in recent fatal stabbing of Detroit synagogue leader
DETROIT — Police said a suspect was in custody Wednesday in the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue leader whose recent death had raised questions about whether it was motivated by antisemitism. “It does not represent the conclusion of our work in this case,” police Chief James White said. “The...
To help 2024 voters, Meta says it will begin labeling political ads that use AI-generated imagery
WASHINGTON — Facebook and Instagram will require political ads running on their platforms to disclose if they were created using artificial intelligence, their parent company announced on Wednesday. Under the new policy by Meta, labels acknowledging the use of AI will appear on users’ screens when they click on ads....
House Republicans subpoena Hunter and James Biden as their impeachment inquiry ramps back up
WASHINGTON — House Republicans issued subpoenas Wednesday to members of President Joe Biden’s family, taking their most aggressive step yet in an impeachment inquiry bitterly opposed by Democrats that is testing the reach of congressional oversight powers. The long-awaited move by Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight...
FDA approves new version of diabetes drug Mounjaro for weight loss
A new version of the popular diabetes treatment Mounjaro can be sold as a weight-loss drug, U.S. regulators announced Wednesday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s drug, named Zepbound. The drug, also known as tirzepatide, helped dieters lose as much as 40 to 60 pounds in testing....
Residents sheltered in place for hours after chemical plant explosion in rural Texas injured workerVideo
HOUSTON — A massive fire at a chemical plant in rural Texas on Wednesday sent a plume of black smoke into the sky as officials closed down a local highway and ordered residents to take shelter for several hours. Authorities had asked residents within a one-mile radius of a chemical...
Colorado funeral home owner, wife arrested on charges linked to the handling of at least 189 bodies
DENVER — The owner of a Colorado funeral home and his wife were arrested Wednesday after the decaying remains of at least 189 people were recently found at his facility. Jon and Carrie Hallford were arrested in Wagoner, Oklahoma, on suspicion of four felonies — abuse of a corpse, theft,...
CMA Awards will pay tribute to Jimmy Buffett during a show hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The CMA Awards are back Wednesday to honor the top artists in country music, with Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wallen among the acts hitting the stage. Wilson is the leading nominee for the second year in a row, competing for entertainer of the...
Patrick Dempsey named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine
LOS ANGELES — He’s not just “McDreamy” anymore — Patrick Dempsey is now also People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. The “Grey’s Anatomy” star and race car driver takes the mantle from “Captain America” star Chris Evans, who was 2022’s selection. The pick was revealed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Tuesday night....
Adidas says it may write off remaining unsold Yeezy shoes after breakup with Ye
FRANKFURT, Germany — Adidas said it might have to write off the remaining 300 million euros ($320 million) worth of Yeezy shoes left unsold after it cut ties with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. The company will decide in the coming weeks whether or not to do a...
Red hot October almost guarantees 2023 will be the hottest year on record
This October was the hottest on record globally, 1.7 degrees Celsius (3.1 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial average for the month — and the fifth straight month with such a mark in what will now almost certainly be the warmest year ever recorded. October was a whopping 0.4 degrees...
Pakistan says nearly 25,000 Afghans waiting for visas to U.S. won’t be deported as part of clampdown
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s prime minister on Wednesday sought to reassure thousands of Afghans waiting in Pakistan for resettlement in the United States that they won’t be deported as part of his government’s widely criticized crackdown on undocumented migrants in the country. Islamabad has launched a crackdown on illegal migration, saying...
Nextdoor lays off 25% of its full-time staff as neighborhood social network works to cut costs
NEW YORK — Nextdoor is laying off 25% of its full-time staff as the neighborhood-focused social network company cuts costs with its losses widening. The job eliminations are part of a larger cost reduction plan that aims to slash Nextdoor’s current personnel expenses by up to $60 million annually, the...
Russia seeks 8-year prison term for an artist and musician who protested the war in Ukraine
TALLINN, Estonia — Russian authorities on Wednesday demanded an eight-year prison term for an artist and musician who was jailed after speaking out against Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Sasha Skochilenko was arrested in her native St. Petersburg in April 2022, on charges of spreading false information about the military after...
Ivanka Trump’s testimony: She worked on dad’s deals, not financial documents key to civil fraud case
NEW YORK — Ivanka Trump didn’t want to testify. But on the the stand Wednesday in her father’s civil fraud trial, she took the opportunity to contend the family business has “overdelivered,” even as she kept her distance from financial documents that New York state says were fraudulent. Former President...
Putin calls for closer Russia-China cooperation on military satellites and prospective weapons
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin told a senior Chinese military official Wednesday that Moscow and Beijing should expand their cooperation on military satellites and other prospective defense technologies— a statement that signaled increasingly close defense links between the allies. Putin spoke in televised remarks at the start of his...
Citigroup discriminated against Armenian Americans, federal regulator says; bank fined $25.9M
NEW YORK — Citigroup intentionally discriminated against Armenian Americans when they applied for credit cards, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday, as the bank argued internally that Armenians were more likely to commit fraud and referred to applicants as “bad guys” or affiliated with organized crime. The CFPB found...
Croatia withdraws some bottled drinks and urges people to drink tap water after several fall ill
ZAGREB, Croatia — Authorities in Croatia recommended Wednesday that people drink only tap water as they investigated reports of several people sickened or suffering throat injuries allegedly after consuming bottled beverages. Health authorities ordered the “suspected” products pulled from shops and restaurants, without specifying which products. However, photos on social...
Carl Torbush, who succeeded Mack Brown at North Carolina and also coached East Tennessee State, dies
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Carl Torbush, a defensive specialist who succeeded Mack Brown as North Carolina’s head football coach after Brown’s first tenure and later coached at East Tennessee State, has died. He was 72. ETSU said Monday that Torbush died Sunday. His family informed the school but didn’t provide...
Ohio votes to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, becoming 24th state to do so
COLUMBUS — Ohio voters approved a proposal legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, defying Republican legislative leaders who had failed to pass the proposed law. Passage of Issue 2 makes Ohio the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes. The new law will allow adults 21 and over...
West Virginia’s Neal Brown, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy off hot seat as teams surge in Big 12Video
STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy and West Virginia coach Neal Brown have slipped off the hot seat and are arguably more likely to be considered Big 12 Coach of the Year contenders. Gundy was under scrutiny after the Cowboys lost back-to-back games to South Alabama and Iowa...
