Associated Press stories, Page 839
Former Wilkinsburg author Deesha Philyaw has a 7-figure deal for her next 2 books
NEW YORK — Prize-winning fiction writer Deesha Philyaw, who struggled to find a publisher for what became her acclaimed debut “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” has a seven-figure deal for her next two books. Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced Thursday that it had signed Philyaw, formerly...
Texas AG Ken Paxton returns for closing arguments as his impeachment trial races toward a verdict
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas lawmakers leading the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton made a final appeal Friday to a jury of senators to convict and remove the embattled Republican over accusations of corruption that have shadowed him for years. “If we don’t keep public officials from abusing the powers...
Citing sustainability, Starbucks wants to overhaul its iconic cup. Will customers go along?
TEMPE, Ariz. — Bethany Patton steps up to the counter and places her pink mug into a shoebox-sized dishwasher. It spins. It whirs. Water splashes inside. After 90 seconds, the door opens and steam emerges. A barista grabs the mug, dries it and prepares Patton’s order — a 16-ounce Starbucks...
6 ‘Soldiers of Christ’ members in custody after woman’s body is found in car trunk
DULUTH, Ga. — Five adults and a 15-year-old self-described as “Soldiers of Christ” religious group members were in custody Thursday on murder charges after a woman’s body was found in the trunk of a car parked outside a popular spa in Atlanta’s suburbs. Investigators said that someone reported the discovery...
Remains exhumed from a Tulsa cemetery as the search for 1921 Race Massacre victims has resumed
OKLAHOMA CITY — Archaeologists have exhumed the remains of one person and plan to exhume a second set as the search for victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre resumes in a Tulsa cemetery. The remains are among 22 sets found during the current search in Oaklawn Cemetery, but are...
Belgium’s controversial classroom program spurs series of school arsons
BRUSSELS — A series of school arsons in Belgium believed to be connected to a controversial school program in some parts of the country is prompting authorities to strengthen their police response. Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden on Friday called for a halt to the attacks in the French-speaking Wallonia region...
Climate protesters around the world are calling for end to fossils fuels as Earth heats up
Tens of thousands of climate activists around the world are protesting Friday and through the weekend to call for an end to the burning of planet-warming fossil fuels as the globe suffers dramatic weather extremes and record-breaking heat. The strike — driven by several mostly youth-led, local and global climate...
Thousands sign up to experience magic mushrooms as Oregon’s novel psilocybin experiment takes off
EUGENE, Ore. — Psilocybin tea, wind chimes and a tie-dye mattress await those coming to an office suite in Eugene to trip on magic mushrooms. For roughly six hours, adults over 21 can experience what many users describe as vivid geometric shapes, a loss of identity and a oneness with...
Former North Carolina U.S. Sen. Lauch Faircloth dies at 95
RALEIGH, N.C. — Former U.S. Sen. Lauch Faircloth of North Carolina, a onetime conservative Democrat who switched late in his career to the Republicans and then got elected to Congress, died Thursday. He was 95. Faircloth, who served one Senate term before losing to then-unknown Democrat John Edwards in 1998,...
Ukrainian forces reclaim village in the east as part of counteroffensive
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s forces have recaptured a village in the country’s east after intense battles with Russian troops, the military said Friday as the invaded nation pursues a multi-pronged counteroffensive. The village of Andriivka is located about 6 miles south of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, the scene of...
TikTok is hit with $368 million fine under Europe’s strict data privacy rules
LONDON — European regulators slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine on Friday for failing to protect children’s privacy, the first time that the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for breaching Europe’s strict data privacy rules. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies...
Libya evacuates flooded city as searchers look for 10,000 missing after death toll passes 11,000
DERNA, Libya — Libyan authorities evacuated residents from an inundated city Friday and limited access to it, as searchers dug through mud and hollowed-out buildings for 10,000 people missing and feared dead in flooding that has already killed more than 11,000. Authorities warned that disease and explosives shifted by the...
No. 7 Nittany Lions ready for hostile crowd against upset-minded IllinoisVideo
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Penn State will play in a hostile environment for the first time Saturday, opening its Big Ten season on the road at Illinois in a nationally televised game. The Illini are coming off a disappointing loss last week at Kansas. They hope a raucous home crowd can...
Jalen Hurts, D’Andre Swift lift Eagles past Vikings
PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts ran for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns and threw a 63-yard TD pass to DeVonta Smith, D’Andre Swift ran for 175 yards and a score, and the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles held off the turnover-prone Minnesota Vikings, 34-28, on Thursday night. Hurts, the MVP runner-up, shook...
About 13,000 workers go on strike seeking better wages and benefits from Detroit’s 3 automakers
DETROIT — About 13,000 U.S. auto workers stopped making vehicles and went on strike Friday after their leaders couldn’t bridge a giant gap between union demands in contract talks and what Detroit’s three automakers are willing to pay. Members of the United Auto Workers union began picketing at a General...
Jets’ Zach Wilson stepping in for Aaron Rodgers with renewed confidence, swagger
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Zach Wilson was in the middle of the locker room Thursday talking about taking over for the injured Aaron Rodgers when a teammate shouted and made the New York Jets quarterback grin. “Zach, we love you, bro!” It was a light moment, but one that was...
Artwork seized from Carnegie Museum was believed to have been stolen during Holocaust
NEW YORK — A work of art believed to have been stolen during the Holocaust from a Jewish art collector and entertainer was seized Wednesday from the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood by New York law enforcement authorities. “Portrait of a Man,” a pencil-on-paper drawing valued at...
Analysis: Ronald Acuna-Mookie Betts showdown for NL MVP highlights award racesVideo
Ronald Acuna Jr. has the kind of numbers that make the young Atlanta Braves star a no-doubter for the National League MVP award. Then again, so does Los Angeles Dodgers standout Mookie Betts and his teammate, Freddie Freeman. It’s getting close to the postseason for Major League Baseball, which also...
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is healthy this time and gets his shot to face the Bengals in CincinnatiVideo
BALTIMORE — When the Baltimore Ravens’ season came down to two big games at Cincinnati eight months ago, Lamar Jackson was absent with a knee injury. “Very tough,” the star quarterback said this week. “One, I was injured. Two, I wasn’t able to travel with my guys and support them....
After days of heavy rain and flash flooding in New England, Hurricane Lee is up nextVideo
PORTLAND, Maine — Days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a tornado in New England could be a prelude to something more dangerous lurking offshore — Hurricane Lee. As the Category 1 system swirled southwest of Bermuda, Maine Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday declared a state...
Extra-large Browns rookie Dawand Jones set for colossal MNF matchup against Steelers star T.J. WattVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns rookie Dawand Jones does everything extra large, so it’s no surprise his first NFL start will be on a colossal stage. Monday night. In Pittsburgh. Against Steelers star T.J. Watt. Are you ready for some football? “Can’t wait,” Cleveland’s unassuming 6-foot-8, 375-pound right tackle said...
Angry and frustrated, Kevin McCarthy challenges right-flank colleagues to try to oust him from his postVideo
WASHINGTON — Angry, frustrated and unable to lead a fractured and unruly Republican majority, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday told the colleagues threatening to oust him: Do it. The embattled Republican leader essentially dared his hard-right flank to quit holding the risk of a vote to remove him from...
Republican David McCormick plans to run for U.S. Senate again in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Republican David McCormick is expected to announce his second bid for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, according to people familiar with his plans, taking on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey after narrowly losing an expensive and bruising GOP primary last year to a Donald Trump-endorsed rival. McCormick, 58, has strong...
Colorado State coach pokes at Deion Sanders for wearing hat, sunglasses before game with ColoradoVideo
DENVER — Colorado State coach Jay Norvell just heated up the rivalry with No. 18 Colorado by poking at his counterpart Deion Sanders. On his coach’s show Wednesday night, Norvell made a reference to Sanders’ tendency to wear a hat along with sunglasses at news conferences and said that “when...
Hunter Biden indicted on federal firearms charges in long-running probe weeks after plea deal failedVideo
WASHINGTON — Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on federal firearms charges, the latest step in a long-running investigation into the president’s son that puts the case on track toward a possible high-stakes trial as the 2024 election looms. Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought...
