Associated Press stories, Page 823
Israel is perennially swept up in religious conflict, yet many of its citizens are secular
MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Israel is a nation perennially swept up in religious fervor and conflict. And yet, strikingly, a large portion of its population is secular, and even its insular ultra-Orthodox community loses a steady stream of members who tire of its strict religious rules. The country is home...
Fired Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald suing school for $130M for wrongful termination
CHICAGO — Former Northwestern University football coach Pat Fitzgerald is suing the school for $130 million, saying his alma mater wrongfully fired him in the wake of a hazing and abuse scandal that has engulfed the athletic department. The announcement by Chicago-based attorneys Dan K. Webb and Matthew R. Carter...
The Biden administration says it is using executive power to allow border wall construction in TexasVideo
McALLEN, Texas — The Biden administration announced they waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday, marking the administration’s first use of sweeping executive power to pave the way for building more border barriers — a tactic used often during the Trump presidency. The...
Too much Taylor? Travis Kelce says NFL TV coverage is ‘overdoing it’ with Swift during games
Maybe there’s too much Taylor, not enough Travis. Travis Kelce agreed Wednesday with the idea that NFL TV coverage has been “overdoing it” with the amount of times Taylor Swift has been on screen while attending his Kansas City Chiefs’ games the last two weeks. Swift was in a suite...
September sizzled to records and was so much warmer than average scientists call it ‘mind-blowing’
After a summer of record-smashing heat, warming somehow got even worse in September as Earth set a new mark for how far above normal temperatures were, the European climate agency reported Thursday. Last month’s average temperature was 0.93 degrees Celsius (1.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1991-2020 average for September. That’s...
Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as House speaker could cost GOP its best fundraiser heading into 2024
WASHINGTON — Kevin McCarthy spent years raising mountains of Republican campaign cash, flying around the country to recruit top candidates in key districts and painstakingly building political relationships as he worked his way toward becoming speaker of the House. Now that he’s been ousted from the post after less than...
Powerball jackpot up to $1.4 billion after no one matches all the numbers
PINEVILLE, N.C. — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.4 billion after no players matched all six numbers and hit it rich Wednesday night. The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1. Players will next have a shot at the Powerball jackpot Saturday...
Trump’s intensifying rhetoric offers insight into how he might govern again as president
Over the past two weeks, Donald Trump said shoplifters should be immediately shot, suggested the United States’ top general be executed and mocked a political opponent’s husband who was beaten with a hammer. The former president and current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination also in recent weeks encouraged the...
Phillies sweep Marlins, on to NL Division Series rematch with Braves
PHILADELPHIA — Bryson Stott crushed the second grand slam in Philadelphia Phillies postseason history, and Aaron Nola tossed seven shutout innings in a performance worthy of a postseason ace that led to a 7-1 win and a two-game sweep over the Miami Marlins in their NL wild-card series Wednesday night....
Diamondbacks erase early deficit again, finish sweep of BrewersVideo
MILWAUKEE — Zac Gallen settled down after a shaky start, and Arizona’s bullpen stepped up at the end, helping the Diamondbacks sweep their NL wild-card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Just two years after suffering through a 110-loss season, Arizona...
Pennsylvania could go after lottery winnings, tax returns of turnpike toll scofflaws
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s state Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday that would authorize the Department of Revenue to go after the lottery winnings and income tax returns of turnpike toll scofflaws. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives. The Associated Press reported in 2021 that an internal study by...
3 Philadelphia officers injured in shooting after dispute about video game, police say; suspect dead
PHILADELPHIA — Three Philadelphia police officers responding to a home where people were arguing about a video game were wounded in a shootout Wednesday evening, authorities said. Acting Police Commissioner John Stanford told reporters the suspect was killed. The officers were taken to an area hospital, where they were in...
Aggravated assault charges filed in case of Philly motorcyclist seen smashing in back of woman’s carVideo
PHILADELPHIA — A man accused of being the motorcyclist seen smashing in the back of a woman’s car while her two young children were inside near Philadelphia’s City Hall and then waving a gun at her after she confronted him has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault. Prosecutors...
A $19,000 lectern for Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sparks call for legislative audit
LITTLE ROCK — Sarah Huckabee Sanders rose to national prominence in part during her time at the lectern as White House press secretary, but the purchase of a $19,000 lectern for the Arkansas governor is undergoing scrutiny and prompting claims that records about it have been altered. A legislative panel...
Twins sweep Blue Jays, advance in playoffs for 1st time in 21 yearsVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Correa contributed an RBI single and a quick-twitch tag off a pickoff throw from Sonny Gray, and the Minnesota Twins swept the Toronto Blue Jays with a 2-0 win in Game 2 of their AL wild-card series Wednesday. The Twins advanced — for the first time in...
Colts waiting to make decision on RB Jonathan Taylor after All-Pro returns to practiceVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Jonathan Taylor returned to the practice field Wednesday for his first workout in 10 months. Now he must prove to the Indianapolis Colts coaches he can carry the workload Sunday against Tennessee. The All-Pro running back and 2021 NFL rushing champion was activated from the physically unable to...
Rams WR Cooper Kupp returns to practice, enters IR activation windowVideo
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is returning to practice this week after missing the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. Kupp rejoined his teammates Wednesday when the Rams (2-2) began their preparations to host unbeaten Philadelphia on Sunday. The Super Bowl...
Rangers beat Rays for wild-card sweep behind HRs by Adolis Garcia, Evan CarterVideo
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Adolis García and Evan Carter homered to back Nathan Eovaldi, and the Texas Rangers beat the punchless Tampa Bay Rays, 7-1, on Wednesday to finish a two-game AL Wild Card Series sweep. Garcia and Carter, a 20-year-old rookie who became the second-youngest postseason player in franchise...
Attack ads and millions of dollars flow into race for Pennsylvania Supreme Court seat
HARRISBURG — Spending in the campaign for an open Pennsylvania state Supreme Court seat is picking up, with millions of dollars flowing into the race as the sides sharpen their attacks over questions about ethics and abortion rights. The race between Democrat Dan McCaffery and Republican Carolyn Carluccio won’t change...
Simone Biles leads U.S. women to record 7th straight team title at gymnastics world championshipsVideo
ANTWERP, Belgium — Led by Simone Biles, the U.S. women won a record seventh consecutive team title at the gymnastics world championships on Wednesday night. The American team of Biles, Shilese Jones, Skye Blakely and Leanne Wong combined for a total of 167.729 points to edge Brazil and France. The...
Mining company employee killed in Somerset County mine accident
HOLLSOPPLE — A mining company employee was crushed to death in an accident involving a shuttle car in a Somerset County mine, authorities said. LCT Energy said in a statement that the man became trapped between the car and an interior wall of the company’s Maple Springs mine on Monday...
Say goodbye to the covid-19 vaccination card. The CDC has stopped printing them
It’s the end of an era for a once-critical pandemic document: The ubiquitous white covid-19 vaccination cards are being phased out. Now that the federal government is not distributing covid-19 vaccines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped printing new cards. The federal government shipped more than...
NCAA approves smaller transfer portal windows for football, basketball from 60 to 45 days
The NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday approved a smaller window during which football and basketball players can enter their names into the transfer portal and retain immediate eligibility for the following season from 60 to 45 days. The council was finishing up two days of meetings in Indianapolis, during...
Capitol rioter who attacked Reuters cameraman and police officer gets more than 4 years in prison
A man who attacked a police officer and a Reuters cameraman during the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced on Wednesday to more than four years in prison. Shane Jason Woods, 45, was the first person charged with assaulting a member of the news media during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection....
Man charged with voter fraud in Florida blames rivalry between Trump and DeSantis supporters
THE VILLAGES, Fla. — A man has been charged with forgery and fraud after authorities say he cast a ballot in Florida for his deceased father in the 2020 election, though the suspect says the charges were motivated by a local, internal GOP political rivalry between former President Donald Trump...
