Associated Press stories, Page 883
Bob Ross’ 1st TV painting, done in a half hour, goes on sale for nearly $10M
MINNEAPOLIS — What would Bob Ross think? The artist who brought painting to the people, with works completed for PBS viewers in less than a half-hour with little more than a large bristle brush, putty knife and plenty of encouragement, certainly wouldn’t have envisioned one of his works going up...
‘Game of Thrones’ creator and other authors sue ChatGPT-maker OpenAI for copyright infringement
NEW YORK — John Grisham, Jodi Picoult and George R.R. Martin are among 17 authors suing OpenAI for “systematic theft on a mass scale,” the latest in a wave of legal action by writers concerned that artificial intelligence programs are using their copyrighted works without permission. In papers filed Tuesday...
Under pressure over border, Biden administration to protect hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Wednesday that it was granting temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the country — quickly making them eligible to work — as it grapples with growing numbers of people fleeing the South American country and elsewhere to...
NHL training camp primer: Big questions to answer from Anaheim to ColumbusVideo
Exactly 100 days after the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers to win the Stanley Cup for the first time, training camps open around the NHL on Thursday. The Golden Knights bring back nearly the same roster in their bid to repeat, and the Panthers are still licking their...
Fast starts prove key for high-flying Ravens defenseVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Geno Stone intercepted a pass around the goal line and returned it 36 yards before veering out of bounds — and it looked like he might’ve scored if he’d cut back to his right. “Gave him a little grief, but at the end of the day...
Raiders place Chandler Jones on reserve/non-football illness list
HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders placed defensive end Chandler Jones on the reserve/non-football illness list Wednesday, meaning he will miss at least the next four games. Jones criticized owner Mark Davis, coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler in a series of social media posts, which he...
Raiders DE Maxx Crosby, set to face Steelers, seeking breakout gameVideo
HENDERSON, Nev. — Almost lost in the Chandler Jones situation is the effect his absence has had on the Raiders defensive line. In trying to make up the difference at one of the defensive end positions, Las Vegas has used a tackle in Jerry Tillery, an undersized Malcolm Koonce and...
Vikings acquire RB Cam Akers in trade with RamsVideo
EAGAN, Minn. — The run-deficient Minnesota Vikings acquired running back Cam Akers in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday after the fourth-year player fell out of favor with the coaching staff and behind Kyren Williams on the depth chart. The Vikings sent a 2026 conditional sixth-round draft...
Ohio redistricting panel adopts GOP-drawn Statehouse maps for public discussion, as Democrats object
COLUMBUS — The Ohio Redistricting Commission tentatively adopted a new set of Republican-drawn Statehouse maps over Democrats’ objections Wednesday, a plan that again would deliver large legislative majorities to the GOP. A series of public meetings is expected over the next week to gather public input. The time-crunched panel seeks...
Pennsylvania’s Senate wants an earlier 2024 presidential primary, partly to have a say on nominees
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s state Senate approved a bill Wednesday to move up the state’s 2024 primary election by five weeks to March 19, aiming to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday of Passover and give voters more of a say in deciding presidential nominees. The bill passed, 45-2, although...
Biden administration announces $600M to produce covid tests and will reopen website to order them
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home covid-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to again order up to four free tests per household — aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases...
Senate confirms chairman of joint chiefs as GOP senator still blocking hundreds of military nomineesVideo
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Gen. CQ Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, putting him in place to succeed Gen. Mark Milley when he retires at the end of the month. Brown’s confirmation on a 83-11 vote, months after President Joe Biden nominated him for...
UN chief warns of ‘gates of hell’ in climate summit, but carbon polluting nations stay silent
UNITED NATIONS — The head of the United Nations warned Wednesday that the “gates of hell” are at hand as climate change intensifies, and top international officials said the world’s leaders still aren’t doing nearly enough to curb pollution of heat-trapping gases. They pleaded with major emitting nations to do...
Browns re-sign running back Kareem Hunt after star Nick Chubb lost for season with left knee injury
BEREA, Ohio — Kareem Hunt ran right back to the Browns. Desperate to find a quality running back after losing star Nick Chubb for the season, the Browns have reunited with Hunt, who was available as a free agent and is expected to be able to help Cleveland’s offense immediately....
Man who shot Black teen who mistakenly went to his door enters not guilty plea; trial scheduled
LIBERTY, Mo. — A white 84-year-old homeowner who is accused of shooting a Black teenager after the high-schooler mistakenly came to his Kansas City home entered a not guilty plea Wednesday, and the judge scheduled his trial for next year. Andrew Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic, is charged with first-degree...
Woman rescued from outhouse toilet in northern Michigan after dropping Apple Watch, police say
BAGLEY TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A woman was rescued Tuesday from an outhouse toilet in northern Michigan while trying to retrieve her Apple Watch. The woman, whose name was not released, lowered herself inside the toilet after dropping the watch at the Department of Natural Resources boat launch at Dixon Lake...
House Republicans clash with Attorney General Garland, accusing him of favoring Hunter Biden
WASHINGTON — House Republicans clashed with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, accusing him and the Justice Department of the “weaponization” of the department’s work in favor of President Joe Biden ‘s son Hunter. Garland’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee was his first in two years and came at...
Alabama school band director says he was ‘just doing my job’ before police arrested him
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama high school band director said Wednesday that he was just “doing my job” when police officers arrested him and shocked him with a stun gun after he refused to immediately stop the band as it played in the bleachers following a football game. Johnny Mims,...
Autopsy finds man punched at Patriots game before he died had medical issue
BOSTON — A man who died at a New England Patriots home game last weekend after he was punched at least twice in the head did not suffer a “traumatic injury” in the stands but had a medical issue, authorities in Massachusetts announced Wednesday. Police and safety personnel responded to...
This simple log structure may be the oldest example of early humans building with wood
NEW YORK — Researchers have uncovered a simple structure from the Stone Age that may be the oldest evidence yet of early humans building with wood. The construction is basic a pair of overlapping logs, fitted together with a notch. It’s nearly half a million years old and provides a...
Rough surf batters Bermuda as Hurricane Nigel charges through open waters
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Forecasters in Bermuda warned Wednesday of dangerous swells and rip currents as Hurricane Nigel spun through open waters in the northern Atlantic. The Category 1 hurricane was located about 650 miles east-northeast of Bermuda. It had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and was moving...
Kraft Heinz recalls some American cheese slices because wrappers could pose choking hazard
Kraft Heinz said Tuesday it’s recalling more than 83,000 cases of individually-wrapped Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices because part of the wrapper could stick to the slice and become a choking hazard. The company, which is based in Chicago and Pittsburgh, said one of its wrapping machines developed a...
Challenges to library books continue at record pace in 2023, American Library Association reports
NEW YORK — Book bans and attempted bans continue to hit record highs, according to the American Library Association. And the efforts now extend as much to public libraries as school-based libraries. Through the first eights months of 2023, the ALA tracked 695 challenges to library materials and services, compared...
Big Ten riding rugged defenses in early going, with Michigan, Ohio State among bestVideo
Read the names of the players in the Football Hall of Fame, and there is a who’s who of Big Ten Conference defensive players — Dick Butkus, Rod Woodson, Ray Nitschke, Alex Karras, Herb Adderley, Charles Woodson and others. The NFL ranks are loaded with guys who played recently in...
Colorado coach Deion Sanders condemns death threats against Colorado State player
BOULDER, Colo. — Deion Sanders stood up for Henry Blackburn on Tuesday after the Colorado State safety received death threats for a late hit that sent Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter to the hospital with a lacerated liver. “That’s absurd for people to be threatened,” the Colorado coach said at...
