Associated Press stories, Page 798
Georgia teacher accused of threatening student in dispute over Israeli flag
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A middle school teacher in Georgia was arrested because witnesses told a sheriff’s investigator he threatened to cut off the head of a student who objected to an Israeli flag in his classroom. Benjamin Reese, a teacher at Warner Robins Middle School, was taken into custody...
Matt Carpenter acquired by Braves in multiplayer trade with Padres
SAN DIEGO — First baseman Matt Carpenter was acquired by the Atlanta Braves along with left-hander Ray Kerr and cash from the San Diego Padres on Friday for outfielder Drew Campbell. A three-time All-Star with St. Louis, the 38-year-old Carpenter revived his career with the New York Yankees in 2022...
Catcher Austin Hedges, Cleveland Guardians finalize $4 million, 1-year contract
CLEVELAND — Catcher Austin Hedges and the Cleveland Guardians finalized their $4 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hedges, who played in Cleveland from 2020-22, is solid defensively and, perhaps most importantly, he’s a clubhouse leader. The Guardians missed his presence last season and especially having him as an influence for...
NCAA, states seek to extend restraining order, letting transfer athletes play through the spring
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The NCAA and a coalition of states suing the organization asked a federal court Friday to extend a small window for multiple-transfer athletes to compete through at least the winter and spring semesters. The motion seeks to extend the 14-day temporary restraining order barring the NCAA from...
State Supreme Court hands control of Pac-12 to Oregon State, Washington State
The Washington state Supreme Court declined on Friday to review the Pac-12’s appeal of a lower court ruling that gives full control of the conference to Oregon State and Washington State, keeping in place a legal victory for the league’s two remaining schools over its 10 departing members. Last month,...
Tiger Woods and son get another crack at PNC Championship. Woods jokingly calls it the 5th major
ORLANDO, Fla. — No wonder Tiger Woods jokingly refers to the PNC Championship as the fifth major. Woods was together with 14-year-old son Charlie on Friday, their swings eerily similar and the encouraging words coming as only Woods can deliver them. They were warming up ahead of the pro-am, hitting...
Matthew Perry died from effects of drug ketamine, coroner says
LOS ANGELES — Matthew Perry died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor released Friday. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of...
Rangers’ Max Scherzer has back surgery, will miss start of 2024 season
ARLINGTON, Texas — Max Scherzer had surgery for a herniated disk in his lower back and will miss a significant portion of next season. The 39-year-old right-hander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, had surgery Thursday after injections and other less evasive treatments didn’t relieve the pain. He is due...
Dozens stranded in stuck elevators as lights flicker in brief NYC power outage
NEW YORK — Lights flickered, subway service was disrupted and firefighters rescued scores of people trapped in elevators after a small explosion at an electrical facility caused a momentary power outage in New York City. The brief outage just before midnight Thursday affected most of the city, officials said. “Essentially,...
Jury awards $148 million in damages to Georgia election workers over Rudy Giuliani’s 2020 vote lies
WASHINGTON — A jury awarded $148 million in damages on Friday to two former Georgia election workers who sued Rudy Giuliani for defamation over lies he spread about them in 2020 that upended their lives with racist threats and harassment. The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Wandrea “Shaye” Moss...
Court upholds $75,000 in fines against Alex Jones for missing Sandy Hook case deposition
HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut appeals court on Friday upheld $75,000 in fines against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for missing a deposition in the lawsuit by Sandy Hook families, which led to a $1.4 billion judgment against Jones for repeatedly calling the 2012 Newtown school shooting a hoax. The state...
Mother of 6-year-old who shot teacher in Virginia gets 2 years in prison for child neglect
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his teacher in Virginia was sentenced Friday to two years in prison for felony child neglect, nearly a year after her son used her gun to critically wound the educator. Friday’s sentencing was the second time Deja Taylor was...
Israeli military says it mistakenly killed 3 Israeli hostages in Gaza
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Israeli military on Friday mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages during its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, military officials said. The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israeli troops found the hostages and erroneously identified them as a threat. He said it was...
U.S. homelessness up 12% to highest reported level as rents soar and coronavirus pandemic aid lapses
WASHINGTON — The United States experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness to its highest reported level as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said Friday. About 653,000 people were experiencing homelessness, the most since...
A Kentucky family gets an early gift: a baby owl in their Christmas treeVideo
LEXINGTON, Ky. — One Kentucky family got a little something extra when they picked out their Christmas tree this year: a baby owl. Lexington resident Michele White told WDKY-TV that it’s a tradition for the family to pick out a Christmas tree every year and this year seemed no different....
Chargers fire coach Brandon Staley, general manager Tom Telesco in midst of disappointing season
The Los Angeles Chargers fired coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Friday morning after one of the worst losses in franchise history. The Chargers made the playoffs last season but are one of this year’s biggest disappointments at 5-9, with losses in five of their last six...
Prince Harry’s phone hacking victory is a landmark in the long saga of British tabloid misconduct
LONDON — Prince Harry’s victory against Mirror Group Newspapers on Friday over what a British judge called “habitual” illegal activity is a landmark moment in the long and twisting saga of lawbreaking by Britain’s tabloid press. Judge Timothy Fancourt ruled that Mirror newspapers had hired private investigators to snoop for...
Prince Harry claims vindication in court victory as judge finds British tabloid hacked his phoneVideo
LONDON — Prince Harry’s phone was hacked by journalists and private investigators working for the Daily Mirror who invaded his privacy by snooping on him unlawfully, a judge ruled Friday, delivering an historic victory for the estranged royal who broke from family tradition to take on the British press. Phone...
Plane crashes, catches fire on North Carolina highway; 2 escape serious injuries
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A small plane crashed on a western North Carolina highway and caught fire Thursday night, but the two people on board escaped life-threatening injuries, authorities said. A single-engine Diamond DA-40 crashed on Interstate 26 near Asheville Regional Airport around 8:15 p.m. with two people on board, the...
2 attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels strike container ships in vital Red Sea corridor
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels slammed into a cargo ship Friday in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, following another attack only hours earlier that struck a separate vessel, authorities said. The missile attack on the MSC Palatium III...
EU struggles to unify around a Gaza cease-fire call but work on peace moves continues
BRUSSELS — As the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to mount, a number of European Union leaders sought on Friday to use growing concern about Israel’s military offensive against Hamas to convince their partners to rally around a united call for a ceasefire. “The killing of innocent civilians really...
Raiders set franchise scoring record in rout of hapless Chargers
LAS VEGAS — Four days after losing 3-0, the Las Vegas Raiders scored 42 points by halftime, didn’t let the Los Angeles Chargers cross midfield until the third quarter and rolled to a record-setting 63-21 victory on Thursday night. The Raiders set a franchise scoring record, topping the team’s 59-14...
Ravens, Jaguars square off in matchup of AFC division leaders
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t fared very well against the NFL’s elite defenses this season. They’re 0-3 against Cleveland (ranked first), San Francisco (seventh) and Kansas City (sixth), and they’ve failed to top 300 yards against any of them. It’s a hurdle the Jaguars (8-5) need to overcome...
Myles Garrett, Browns continue playoff chase with home game against Bears
CLEVELAND — Two years ago, Justin Fields made his NFL start on the road. It was far more miserable than memorable. Blame Myles Garrett. Chicago’s quarterback remembers nearly everything about his first game with the Bears in 2021 — the excitement, playing again in Ohio, the bruises. “And then of...
Bengals will try to stay in playoff picture vs. Vikings in matchup of 7-6 teams
CINCINNATI — The winner of Saturday’s game between the Vikings and Bengals will stay in the crowded playoff picture — at least for now. The loser could be in trouble. The matchup of the 7-6 teams — both relying on backup quarterbacks to get them to the playoffs — is...
