Associated Press stories, Page 873
Zach Wilson solid as backup as Jets begin Aaron Rodgers era with loss to Browns in Hall of Fame gameVideo
CANTON, Ohio — Zach Wilson showed he can move New York’s offense as a backup quarterback, but the Jets kicked off the Aaron Rodgers Era with a 21-16 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game. It was a battle of rookies and reserves...
Bears, Yannick Ngakoue agree on 1-year, $10.5 million contractVideo
Veteran edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue has agreed with the Chicago Bears on a one-year, $10.5 million contract, his agent Drew Rosenhaus told the Associated Press on Thursday night. Ngakoue, a Pro Bowl pick in 2017 with the Jaguars, bolsters the league’s worst pass rush. The Bears had only 20 sacks...
Justice Kagan supports ethics code but says Supreme Court divided on how to proceed
PORTLAND, Ore. — Justice Elena Kagan publicly declared her support for an ethics code for the U.S. Supreme Court but said there was no consensus among the justices on how to proceed, suggesting the high court is grappling with public concerns over its ethics practices. “It’s not a secret for...
Both expelled members of ‘Tennessee Three’ win back their state House seats
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, who became Democratic heroes as members of the “Tennessee Three,” reclaimed their legislative seats Thursday after they were expelled for involvement in a gun control protest on the House floor. The young Black lawmakers were reinstated by local officials after being...
Zach Thomas ran through blocks, doubt during Hall of Fame careerVideo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The sun was already out the morning of Zach Thomas’ first NFL training camp 27 years ago. It was 8:45 a.m. — back when the Miami Dolphins held two practices a day. A gentle breeze wafted the smell of wet grass through the air. Thomas, a...
Seahawks QB Geno Smith won’t face charges after 2022 arrest for investigation of DUIVideo
SEATTLE — The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said Thursday it will not pursue charges against Seattle Seahawks quarterback and former WVU star Geno Smith, who was arrested in January 2022 for investigation of driving under the influence and reckless driving. Prosecutors said Smith’s blood alcohol level was at .038,...
Jim Brown remembered as ‘man among men’ during tribute in CantonVideo
CANTON, Ohio — On the last of his many visits to Jim Brown’s home in Los Angeles, Ray Lewis recalled the legendary running back being as powerful as ever. As a feeble Brown, in the final months of his life, slowly approached the Hall of Fame linebacker, Lewis braced himself....
Appeals court allows Biden asylum restrictions to stay in place
SAN FRANCISCO An appeals court Thursday allowed a rule restricting asylum at the southern border to stay in place. The decision is a major win for the Biden administration, which had argued that the rule was integral to its efforts to maintain order along the U.S.-Mexico border. The new rule...
Russell Henley’s strong finish gives him a 62 and a 1-shot lead at WyndhamVideo
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Russell Henley still thinks about a poor finish from two years ago at the Wyndham Championship. He had no complaints about his start Thursday, an 8-under-par 62 that gave him the lead in the final tournament before the PGA Tour’s postseason. Henley hit his approach to 6...
CDC: Babies should get recently approved drug for RSV
Infants should get a recently approved drug to protect them against a respiratory virus that sends tens of thousands of American children to the hospital each year, U.S. health officials said Thursday. An infection with RSV is a coldlike nuisance for most healthy people, but it can be life-threatening for...
Verlander is back with the Astros after a ‘whirlwind’ few days following his trade from the MetsVideo
NEW YORK — The Houston Astros hat and T-shirt were familiar to Justin Verlander. But the chaotic process that landed him at Yankee Stadium on Thursday was unlike anything the three-time Cy Young Award winner has experienced in an 18-year career. “It was just a whirlwind, man,” Verlander said in...
6 months after East Palestine train derailment, Congress deadlocked on new rules
WASHINGTON — Congress responded to the fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio early this year with bipartisan alarm, holding a flurry of hearings about the potential for railroad crashes to trigger even larger disasters. Both parties agreed that a legislative response was needed. Yet, six months after life was upended...
Cape Cod Baseball League celebrates 100 years as pathway from college to majorsVideo
BOURNE, Mass. — Pete Alonso didn’t hit a home run the summer he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He made a different kind of connection. On a day off during his time with the Bourne Braves during the summer of 2015, Alonso headed out to Provincetown, at the...
Hunter Biden associate’s testimony provides insight into business dealings
WASHINGTON — Focusing on the Bidens rather than Donald Trump’s federal court appearance, House Republicans released a transcript Thursday of their interview with Hunter Biden’s former business associate detailing overseas financial dealings by the president’s son. The more than five-hour closed-door interview with Devon Archer by the House Oversight Committee,...
2 Navy sailors arrested on charges tied to national security, China
SAN DIEGO — Two Navy sailors have been arrested and accused of providing sensitive military information to China — including details on wartime exercises, naval operations and critical technical material, federal officials said Thursday. The two sailors, both based in California, were charged with similar moves to provide sensitive intelligence...
Bills secondary in safe hands with Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer together for 7th seasonVideo
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Bills safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer have been essentially inseparable since arriving in Buffalo and signing their free-agent contracts mere hours apart March 10, 2017. With a nod of the head, one has come to instinctually know where the other is going before the ball is...
DeMarcus Ware’s Hall of Fame celebration will be part Dallas, part DenverVideo
DALLAS — DeMarcus Ware won a Super Bowl as a Denver Bronco after setting a storied franchise’s sacks record with the Dallas Cowboys. There’s little question the outside linebacker’s Pro Football Hall of Fame celebration will be part Denver, part Dallas. “He accomplished what he accomplished as a Cowboy,” said...
No evidence found that betting integrity manipulated by Iowa and Iowa St. athletes tied to gamblingVideo
One of the state agencies involved in the ongoing investigation of alleged sports wagering violations by Iowa and Iowa State athletes announced Thursday no evidence had been discovered to suggest the integrity of any contest involving the schools was affected by gambling interests. A total of seven current or former...
More Pac-12 movement? Arizona and Washington regents call special meetingsVideo
The pieces of the conference realignment puzzle again could be moving quickly. The boards of regents for Arizona’s two biggest universities and Washington scheduled special meetings for Thursday night amid speculation that more Pac-12 schools could leave the flailing conference. The Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees Arizona and Arizona...
LSU football coach Brian Kelly cites gambling concerns while adopting new injury reporting policy
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU has a new, more “transparent” injury reporting policy that football coach Brian Kelly described Thursday as a “proactive” response to the proliferation of legalized sports betting. For Kelly, one concern is the specter of gamblers hounding football staffs for insider information. “I’m not saying that...
Lindsey Horan calls former teammate Carly Lloyd’s criticism ‘noise’ at the Women’s World Cup
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Co-captain Lindsey Horan brushed aside criticism leveled at the United States by former teammate-turned-pundit Carli Lloyd, calling it outside noise. Now an analyst with Fox Sports, Lloyd didn’t hold back after the Americans eked out a spot in the knockout round at the Women’s World Cup...
Drag artists and LGBTQ+ advocates sue to block Texas law expanding ban on sexual performances
AUSTIN, Texas — A group of drag performers and LGBTQ+ rights advocates have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that expands what is considered an illegal public performance of sexual conduct, arguing it is meant to target drag shows and could also criminalize ballet and...
Two years after Tokyo, Simone Biles is coming back from ‘the twisties’
For years in gymnastics, the phrase “the twisties” was usually uttered in hushed tones, as if saying the slang term for an athlete’s sudden loss of air awareness during a routine would only deepen the problem. “It’s almost like a mythical kind of thing,” longtime Oklahoma men’s gymnastics coach Mark...
U.S. military may put armed troops on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran seizures
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, in what would be an unheard of action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels, five American officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. Since...
USA Gymnastics to expand its partnership with Nike, a sign it’s gaining trust in the post-Nassar era
USA Gymnastics and Nike have reached an agreement on a sponsorship deal that will make the athletic giant the exclusive apparel and footwear provider for the men’s and women’s national teams. The deal, which USA Gymnastics says is the largest ever in terms of annual and total value for the...

