Associated Press stories, Page 888
March Madness expansion discussed by NCAA committee but no deal imminent
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee discussed possible expansion of March Madness at its meetings this week but said no moves were imminent to increase the field beyond the current 68 teams. “Whether the tournament expands or not remains to be seen,” sad Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s...
Olympic gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas says she is aiming for the 2024 Paris Games
Gabby Douglas, the first Black woman to win the Olympic all-around gymnastics title, is taking aim at the 2024 Games in Paris. Douglas announced on her Instagram page Thursday that she is making a comeback attempt, a dozen years after her triumph in London in 2012 and eight years after...
Former Temple coach Tonya Cardoza returning to UConn, among 2 assistant hires
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Former Temple head coach Tonya Cardoza is returning to a former job as an assistant to Geno Auriemma at UConn. The school announced Thursday that Cardoza and current UConn video coordinator Ben Kantor will be added as coaches under NCAA legislation that went into effect July...
Christian Pulisic signs with US-owned AC Milan to revive his club career before home World Cup
MILAN — Christian Pulisic will attempt to revive his sagging club career at American-owned AC Milan leading into a home World Cup in the United States in 2026. Milan announced on Thursday that Pulisic has signed a four-year deal with the club, with the Rossoneri retaining the option for a...
Deadly bomb ambush of police in Mexico has endangered mothers who search for the missing
MEXICO CITY — A drug cartel bomb attack that allegedly used a fake report of a mass grave to lure police into a deadly trap has had devastating collateral damage: It has led authorities to abandon the volunteers who search for some of Mexico’s 110,000 missing people. Most of the...
Thousands of Ukraine civilians are being held in Russian prisons. Russia plans to build many more
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — The Ukrainian civilians woke long before dawn in the bitter cold, lined up for the single toilet and were loaded at gunpoint into the livestock trailer. They spent the next 12 hours or more digging trenches on the front lines for Russian soldiers. Many were forced to...
In ‘Oppenheimer,’ Christopher Nolan builds a thrilling, serious blockbuster for adults
NEW YORK — Christopher Nolan has never been one to take the easy or straightforward route while making a movie. He shoots on large-format film with large, cumbersome cameras to get the best possible cinematic image. He prefers practical effects over computer-generated ones and real locations over soundstages — even...
Powerball jackpot climbs to $875 million for Saturday after no winner in latest drawing
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Powerball jackpot soared to an estimated $875 million after no winning ticket was sold for the latest drawing. No ticket for Wednesday’s $750 million jackpot matched the white balls 23, 35, 45, 66, 67 and red Powerball 20. The new jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is...
Messi mania engulfs Miami over the arrival of the Argentine soccer superstar
MIAMI — A hamburger and drink combination called the Lionel Messi. A huge sketch of the soccer star’s smiling face on a restaurant wall beside a viral meme from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A beer with a pink label matching the color of the Inter Miami jersey he...
First over-the-counter birth control pill gets FDA approvalVideo
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials have approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, which will let American women and girls buy contraceptive medication from the same aisle as aspirin and eyedrops. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it cleared Perrigo’s once-a-day Opill to be sold without a prescription, making it...
Big 12 notebook: Oklahoma State hit hard by transfer portalVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — Oklahoma State lost at least eight starters among the 18 players who went into the transfer portal since last season. The Cowboys also added 14 players from the portal. “I attribute it to the times,” coach Mike Gundy said Wednesday at Big 12 football media days. “We...
Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth say PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has to earn trust
GULLANE, Scotland — PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan returns to work next week, and some top players believe he has to regain their trust after leaving members in the dark over an about-face deal with the Saudi Arabia wealth fund behind LIV Golf. “I’d say he has a lot of...
Messi mania engulfs Miami ahead of Argentine soccer superstar’s arrivalVideo
MIAMI — A hamburger and drink combination called the Lionel Messi. A huge sketch of the soccer star’s smiling face on a restaurant wall beside a viral meme from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A beer with a pink label matching the color of the Inter Miami jersey he...
Panama upsets U.S. on penalty kicks to reach CONCACAF Gold Cup final
SAN DIEGO — Adalberto Carrasquilla converted the decisive penalty kick after Cristian Roldan failed to convert his attempt, and Panama beat the defending champion United States 5-4 in a shootout after a 1-1 tie on Wednesday night to reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Mexico or Jamaica. Iván Anderson...
NCAA finds 175 sports-betting violations since 2018, with 17 ongoing investigationsVideo
LAS VEGAS — The NCAA has found 175 infractions of its sports-betting policy since 2018, and there are 17 active investigations, according to a letter from the sports organization’s president that was obtained Wednesday by the Associated Press. NCAA president Charlie Baker included the numbers in a letter sent this...
Patrick Mahomes, Mikaela Shiffrin win top athlete honors at The ESPYSVideo
LOS ANGELES — Patrick Mahomes was honored as best men’s sports athlete at The ESPYS, and skier Mikaela Shiffrin received the women’s sports honor Wednesday night. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has won two Super Bowls in his five seasons and was named MVP of the game each time, including...
Kia to invest $200M in Georgia plant to begin building electric SUV there, hiring 200
ATLANTA — Kia Corp. will invest $200 million in its Georgia factory to begin producing an electric-powered SUV, the company announced Wednesday. The South Korean company said it would hire an additional 200 workers to begin producing its large EV9 vehicle in West Point by early 2024. The company said...
Tornado touches down near Chicago’s O’Hare airport amid severe weather warningsVideo
CHICAGO — The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday following warnings of severe weather for the city. There were no immediate reports of injuries. A confirmed tornado was on the ground around 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in...
ESPN’s Dick Vitale diagnosed with cancer for a 3rd time
Longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale says he has been diagnosed with cancer for a third time. Vitale tweeted Wednesday that he had surgery in Boston this week, and tests revealed he has vocal cord cancer. He said he will undergo six weeks of radiation treatments. “I plan to...
MLB All-Star Game draws record-low viewership for 2nd year in row
NEW YORK — Baseball’s All-Star Game drew a record low in viewers for the second straight year. The National League’s 3-2 win over the American League in Seattle on Tuesday night was seen by 7,006,000 viewers on Fox, down from 7.51 million last year. The game drew a 3.9 rating,...
Ja Morant’s lawyers cite ‘stand your ground’ law, self-defense in pickup basketball lawsuit
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The future of a lawsuit accusing Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant of assaulting a teenager during a pickup basketball game hinges on whether Morant will be allowed to say he was acting in self-defense and can receive immunity under Tennessee law. A judge Wednesday ruled Morant’s lawyers...
Former Trump supporter who got caught up in Jan. 6 conspiracy theory sues Fox NewsVideo
DOVER, Del. — A former Donald Trump supporter who became the center of a conspiracy theory about Jan. 6, 2021, filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Wednesday, saying the network made him a scapegoat for the U.S. Capitol insurrection. Raymond Epps, a former Marine who said he was...
Domino’s signs deal with Uber Eats in a bid to make more dough
If you can’t beat them, join them. In a major reversal, Domino’s Pizza said Wednesday it’s partnering with Uber Eats to make deliveries in the U.S. and 27 international markets. While franchisees in a handful of international markets like the Netherlands have been working with third-party apps for years, Domino’s...
Pennsylvania budget still in turmoil over school vouchers and equity funding case
HARRISBURG — A court’s ruling earlier this year that the way Pennsylvania funds public schools is unconstitutional helped make education spending one of the thorniest issues in state budget negotiations. Along with a partisan divide over spending taxpayer money to help students attend private and religious schools, education funding has...
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark explains being ‘open for business’
ARLINGTON, Texas — Brett Yormark definitely was trying to send a message during his introduction as the Big 12 commissioner last year when he said the league was “open for business.” A year into the job, Yormark said that statement was more than just about ongoing realignment and the potential...
